Van Voorhis-Jarvis Endowed Scholarship Fund
Wesley C. Van Voorhis, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor in the division head of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an adjunct professor in the departments of microbiology and global health. He and his wife, the Rev. Debra L. Jarvis, created the Van Voorhis-Jarvis Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit medical students with financial need. The couple wishes to support students who plan to study infectious diseases of the developing world.
Washington Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Endowed Scholarship
The Washington Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP) is the Washington chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and is currently the largest medical specialty organization in Washington. Members include physicians who specialize in family medicine, residents in family medicine training programs, and medical students interested in the specialty.
The Academy, and its philanthropic arm, the Washington Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, have long taken a philanthropic interest in the School of Medicine. They have made major contributions to funds in the Department of Family Medicine, among them the Theodore J. Phillips Endowed Professorship in Family Medicine.
In 2004, the Foundation and its members decided to make a commitment to scholarship support for medical students at the School of Medicine. While the School has a relatively low tuition because of its state affiliation, many students still cannot afford to attend. And, while tuition and living expenses continue to increase, the level of scholarship funds required to support students has not kept pace, nor has it kept pace with the financial aid packages offered by other schools.
Realizing that debt may discourage medical students from choosing careers in family medicine and discourage them from choosing to practice in areas of need, the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, its members, and its foundation have decided to create a scholarship that will benefit students interested in the field of family medicine. In doing so, they are taking advantage of the matching funds offered by the University’s Matching Gift Initiative (MGI).
Per the request of the foundation, this scholarship will be limited to students in their fourth year of medical school. The Washington Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Endowed Scholarship will serve as a recruitment tool for family medicine practice by promoting an interest in the field during the crucial fourth year, when students are making their career choice. The donors hope that this scholarship will give students greater flexibility to practice in family medicine.
James G. and Betty Clawson Watts Endowed Scholarship
In 2006, Bonnie Watts Ramsey, M.D., Res. ’79, Res. ’80, director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Seattle Children’s, and her husband, Paul G. Ramsey, M.D., CEO of UW Medicine, executive vice president for medical affairs, and dean of the School of Medicine, created two new scholarships — including the James G. and Betty Clawson Watts Endowed Scholarship, named after Bonnie Ramsey’s parents — at the School of Medicine. It is one of several scholarship funds the Ramseys have created at the University.
James (Jim) George and Betty Clawson Watts both graduated from the University of Washington in 1938. Jim majored in civil engineering and became a general contractor in the Seattle area. His early projects included the original Virginia Mason Clinic buildings on First Hill and Eckstein Middle School in North Seattle. His company then moved to Oregon and California. Betty majored in home economics and textiles and received a master’s degree in business administration from Simmons College in Boston. Higher education was a priority for both Jim and Betty, and they instilled a love of learning in their four children, all of whom went on to receive graduate degrees.
As the cost of medical-school education rises, the resulting debt may restrict career choices for graduates. The Ramseys hope that the James G. and Betty Clawson Watts Endowed Scholarship will help reduce the recipients’ debts, allowing them to pursue medical careers without concern about their ability to rapidly repay educational loans. They also hope that the recipients of this scholarship will pursue careers involving teaching, research, or care to underserved people.
Werner and Margit Weingarten Endowed Scholarship
The Werner and Margit Weingarten Endowed Scholarship, which supports UW School of Medicine students, was established through a bequest.
Vernon, Priscilla, and Ellen Wenrich Endowed Scholarship
In 2006, Marjorie D. Wenrich, a researcher and project director in the Dean’s office in the School of Medicine, and her husband, Eric E. Ramhorst, created this scholarship to honor the memories of Ms. Wenrich’s father, mother, and sister.
Ms. Wenrich’s father, Vernon, died in August 2006 on his 85th birthday. He spent his entire career — more than 40 years — at Berkeley High School in California, first as one of 13 counselors and then as head counselor. He routinely turned down promotions to higher-level administrative positions because he loved working directly with students. At his memorial picnic, an entire table of retired teachers and counselors spoke of the influence he had on thousands of students’ and teachers’ lives. He was a quiet, thoughtful man; education was at the core of his being.
Ms. Wenrich’s mother, Priscilla, died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2001. Like her husband, she believed strongly in education. She worked for the Down Syndrome League for a number of years, primarily in grant-writing and development. A lovely, gracious, humorous woman, she felt strongly the importance of contributing to the world and did so through her work, her many hospital-league volunteer activities, and through raising her children.
Ms. Wenrich’s only sister, Ellen, died in 1989 at the age of 37 from a rare complication of hepatitis A, while awaiting a liver transplant. She left behind two small children and many people who cared deeply for her. An accomplished graphic artist and photographer, she was a luminous, unique, brave person. Ms. Wenrich writes, “This scholarship honors three people who were (and still are) very special to me. Each contributed to the good of the world. I hope that the small memorial scholarship I have created in their memory will help others find their niche in contributing something of value to the world, whatever and wherever that niche may be.”
John and Mary Wilson Scholarship Fund
After moving to Seattle from New York in 1907, John Wilson started a small shipyard. Eventually, he and other partners founded the AMES Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, which became one of the largest shipyards on the West Coast. He expanded his business into steel fabrication and electric heating equipment, served as president of the National Steel Construction Co., and took an interest in the University of Washington, particularly in crew. Mr. Wilson had a philanthropic bent, a trait he shared with his wife, Mary. He died in 1949 at age 69.
Mrs. Wilson was born in Michigan and lived in Seattle as a child. She graduated from the University of Washington in botany. A member of the Women’s University Club, Mary Wilson regarded the University highly, lived simply, and was interested in the medical profession’s affect on human welfare. She died of a heart attack at the age of 69, 10 years after her husband’s death.
Upon Mrs. Wilson’s death, the John and Mary Wilson Foundation was established. Mrs. Wilson’s will stipulated that a major portion of the foundation’s income be used to fund scholarships to third- and fourth- year students at the UW School of Medicine. Later, the University expanded the scholarship awards to include first- and second-year students. The foundation’s assets are held in trust and administered by Wells Fargo.
Yokan Family Endowed Scholarship Fund
This scholarship was established in 1986 by a generous gift from Drs. Melvyn and Catherine Yokan. Dr. Melvyn Yokan is a native of Yugoslavia, and emigrated to this country after World War II. Dr. Catherine Yokan grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, and completed her medical training at the University of Illinois. She served as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington from 1977 to 1990. Recalling their own struggles to get a medical education, the Yokans wanted to help students who might not be able to continue their medical education without financial assistance. It is their hope that those who become Yokan Scholars will demonstrate their own commitment to medical education by contributing to this and other student support funds once they are able.
Young Endowed Scholarship Fund
Bessie Young, M.D. ’87, M.P.H. was the only African-American woman in her entering medical school class, and she understands many of the difficulties faced by medical students who come from diverse backgrounds. To support these students, Dr. Young — also a faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine at UW Medicine —created the Young Endowed Scholarship Fund.
The Young Scholars will include students from a variety of groups: those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students who are the first in their family to go to college, candidates with deep experience with diversity, or individuals who have overcome personal or educational obstacles to attend the UW School of Medicine.