Mary Ellen Merritt Dougherty Memorial Scholarship Fund Grant

Mary Ellen Merritt Dougherty Memorial Scholarship Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Last Updated: September 04, 2025

Summary

The Mary Ellen Merritt Dougherty Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, honors a dedicated educator who inspired countless students. This scholarship supports graduates from schools where Mrs. Dougherty taught in Nashville, including Hillsboro High School and Hunters Lane, as well as students from Homewood High School in Alabama. It aims to empower the next generation through access to education, continuing her legacy of curiosity, justice, and fun.

Overview

About Us For over 30 years, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) has been driving meaningful, positive change in our community. We do this by bringing together those who want to help and those who need help. Through the power of collective philanthropy, our goal is to amplify donor intent while remaining flexible enough to ensure that resources are directed to where they can do the greatest good. We know the greater Nashville area. We understand its neighborhoods, its most pressing challenges, its unsung nonprofit heroes, and its emerging partnerships with the greatest potential. As our region continues to rapidly change, that knowledge gives us a unique vantage point to bring people and places together to do what none of us can do on our own—build a more thriving and inclusive community. Mission Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee strives to build a more thriving and inclusive community — today and for generations to come — by transforming thoughtful generosity into positive change. Mary Ellen Merritt Dougherty Memorial Scholarship Fund Ms. D as she was called by her students, graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA in English and teaching certificate. She received her MA in English from UAB, MA in History from Middle Tennessee State University, and MLS from Trevecca University. For more than 40 years she taught in Nashville public schools and completed her career as the Librarian at Bellshire Elementary. She was driven by curiosity; inspired by “wonder”; passionate for justice; and just plain fun.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. This scholarship will support students from the schools where Mrs. Dougherty taught in Nashville: Hillsboro High School, Hunters Lane (Bellshire cluster), Martin Luther King Jr High School, or Whites Creek High School. Students from Homewood High School (Homewood, AL), where Mrs. Dougherty was a student teacher, are also eligible.