Donor Sponsored Scholarships
Donor funded scholarships allow donors to meet individual student needs through annually funded or endowed scholarships. Donors determine criteria and preferences for their scholarships.
Listing of Donor Sponsored Scholarships
MAURICE H. BAITLER AND REBEKAH M. BAITLER SCHOLARSHIP
Scholarships are awarded to part-time evening law students who have demonstrated financial need. The scholarship is renewable when the student continues study at the University and makes satisfactory progress toward degree completion. This scholarship was established through the generosity of Maurice H. and Rebekah M. Baitler. Maurice received his law degree from Northeastern University-Springfield Division (later Western New England University) in 1942 and later went on to receive his LLM in Taxation from Boston University. A partner in the law firm Baitler, LaCroix, & Fuller, Maurice practiced taxation law and once sat before the Massachusetts Supreme Court, along with his former partner Jean R. LaCroix, on a famous murder case involving Kenneth Chapin. Maurice was also a Free Mason and a former adjunct professor of law at the Law School. Rebekah was a graduate of the Maine College of Business and worked for 15 years at the Springfield District Court in the Parking Ticket Office. Rebekah was a life member of the order of the Eastern Star, Madonna Chapter, and a former President of both the Agawam Women’s Club and the Evening Alliance of the Unitarian Universalist Society. Rebekah also was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union; World Federalists, USA; Southern Poverty Law Center; Simon Wiesenthal Center of CA; and the MA Chapter Against the Death Penalty. Both Maurice and Rebekah were long time residents of Wilbraham, MA.
FRANK STANLEY BEVERIDGE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
RODNEY E. AND GAIL M. BLAKESLEY ENDOWED LAW SCHOLARSHIP
JOHN H. BRECK, III ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
CARMAN FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
THE CATIC FOUNDATION ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
DAVID NELSON CASE ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
CLASS OF 1979 LAW REVIEW SCHOLARSHIP
THE COLBURN FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
KATHERINE M. CONNELL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
JUDGE SIDNEY M. AND ANNE V. COOLEY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship for law students with demonstrated academic merit and financial need was generously created by Judge Sidney M. and Mrs. Anne V. Cooley. Judge Cooley served as a District Court Judge from 1960 until 1973, including a term as the Presiding Justice of the District Court of western Hampden County. A former Major in the U.S. Army, Judge Cooley is the recipient of the prestigious Bronze Star. He began practicing law in 1946 with his older brother, Attorney Edward B. Cooley. In 1955, Judge Cooley and his brother formed the firm Cooley, Furcolo, and Cooley, the predecessor to the Cooley Shrair law firm in Springfield, MA. Judge Cooley received his law degree from Western New England University (then Springfield-Northeastern) in 1941. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1984 and an honorary Juris Doctor in 2001 from Western New England University and honorary degrees from Westfield State University and Elms College. In 1986, Judge Cooley was named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by Western New England University.
Mrs. Cooley was a graduate of Louisiana State University and received a master’s degree in rehabilitation from Springfield College and an honorary degree from Elms College. She was an active volunteer for decades at Wesson Women’s Hospital at Baystate Medical Center, Meals on Wheels, the Jewish Nursing Home, the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, Rachel’s Table, the Gray House, and the Work Opportunity Center, having served on the board of directors of several of those organizations. Mrs. Cooley passed away in 2012.
Judge and Mrs. Cooley have both been recognized and honored with numerous community awards, including the prestigious William Pynchon Award. Their longstanding support of many Western New England University initiatives and endeavors is exemplary.
HENRY T. AND MARGARET S. DOWNEY ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
DONALD J. DUNN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
ARTHUR R. AND NANCY B. FINKELSTEIN SCHOLARSHIP
FRANK P. FITZGERALD, P.C. ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
CONSTANCE GLEASON FURCOLO ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
HARLEY B. GOODRICH AND FRANCIS A. JOHNSON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
GRODSKY FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
CATHERINE J. JONES ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
JERRY P. KATZ ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
THE KLAK SISTERS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
AMY AND RICHARD L. KOHAN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
LAW ALUMNI ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
LAW FACULTY AND STAFF PUBLIC INTEREST SCHOLARSHIP
LEVI/ SEIDEN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
LEONARD AND BARBARA MCCUE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
WILLIAM F. MCMYNE SCHOLARSHIP
JOHN J. O’CONNOR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
FRANCIS S. AND RUTH M. OLESKIEWICZ ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
JOHN M. P. O’MALLEY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
C. NORMAN PEACOR ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
THE PELLEGRINI FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
RED FOX ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
JOAN D. AND JUDGE LUKE F. RYAN ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
SCHOOL OF LAW ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
DOROTHY F. SHEEHAN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
A scholarship based on academic merit is awarded to a female applicant who has interrupted her education and is seeking to enter the School of Law. Preference is given to any woman who interrupted her education after college for marriage, child rearing, starting work, moving to a different location, or economic reasons. This scholarship was establish by Mrs. Beatrice S. Nelen.
J. RESLER SCHULTZ AND DOROTHY P. LARSON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
CHERYL IVES SMITH AND PETER L. SMITH 3 + 3 LAW PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP
CATHERINE BEAN STREET ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The Student Bar Association awards two scholarships:
The Joanne Grummel Endowed Memorial Scholarship is based on academic success, extracurricular activities, and economic need. The scholarship was established through contributions by family and friends of Joanne Grummel ’83JD.
The John J. O’Connor Memorial Scholarship recognizes those individuals who exhibit a commitment to serve the School of Law and community. Academic achievement and financial need are considered.
MARJORIE A. SULLIVAN ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
GARY F. THOMAS LAW SCHOLARSHIP
GEORGE THOMPSON ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
ROGER W. WADE ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
THE J. RAYMOND AND JUNE LESTER MEMORIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Minimum scholarships of $10,000 are available to students from Western Massachusetts enrolled in the School of Law. There is a preference for the recipients of these scholarships to be actively employed while attending law school. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 either as an entering or returning student. In order to retain this scholarship in future years, the recipients must continue to meet all requirements of the fund. This scholarship was generously established through a bequest from June Lester in memory of her husband, J. Raymond Lester ’39BBA/’56JD. After graduating from law school, Ray went into private practice in Springfield, MA, focusing on real estate and estate planning.
GEORGE W. CRAWFORD BLACK BAR ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP
THE PAUL BLOOM FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
CANTOR COLBURN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
ROBERT A. EDWARDS ENDOWED LAW SCHOLARSHIP
GERVINO RAABE LGBT ADVOCACY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
BYRNES GUILLAUME SCHOLARSHIP
SUZANNA ANSTINE NORBECK ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
JEFFREY SAGALYN LAW SCHOLARSHIP
JOANNE GRUMMEL ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
MARY C. SWORDS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
THE SALAD FAMILY ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
THE JOHN A. MAZARAKOS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
JOSEPH ABYOUN ENDOWED LAW SCHOLARSHIP
A scholarship is available to a returning law student based upon a combination of academic merit and financial need. The recipient should be in the top third of their class and concentrating their legal education through course work and experiential learning opportunities toward the area of transactional law. This scholarship was generously established by Joseph S. Aboyoun. Joseph is a 1978 graduate of Western New England University School of Law. Joseph is a partner in the New Jersey law firm, Aboyoun & Heller, LLC. A business lawyer, Joseph focuses his practice around automobile dealers and those with whom they do business, including sales and acquisitions, franchise disputes, and succession planning as well as being a skilled negotiator and mediator.
CLASS OF 1983 LAW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
A scholarship is available to a returning student in the School of Law with both demonstrated academic merit and financial need. This scholarship was generously created by the School of Law's Class of 1983 in honor of their thirteenth reunion.
CLASS OF 1984 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
A scholarship is available to a returning law student who has demonstrated academic ability and financial need. This scholarship was generously created by members of the School of Law's Class of 1984.
JOSHUA L. JENSEN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
A scholarship is available to an entering full-time student at the School of Law based upon a combination of academic merit and financial need. This scholarship is renewable for the student’s subsequent years provided they continue to meet the qualifications of the award. This scholarship was established by Lori Ohop and family in memory of her cousin Joshua Jensen who tragically passed away following a motorcycle accident in 2020. Joshua sadly passed before he could complete his legal studies at Western New England University. Prior to attending the School of Law, Joshua was a veteran of the US Army and a former police officer.
HE MASSMUTUAL LAW DEPARTMENT JOANNE ELEANOR HENDRICKS ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
A scholarship is available to an entering first-year law student from a diverse background based upon financial need, with a secondary preference for first-generation law students. The scholarship was established by the MassMutual Law Department in memory of team member Joanne Eleanor Hendricks. MassMutual is an American mutual life insurance company, founded in 1851 when 31 founders pooled together $100,000 to start a company in Springfield, Massachusetts to offer protection to their friends and neighbors. MassMutual’s purpose has been the same since that day: helping people secure their future and protect the ones they love. The MassMutual Law Department is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and believes that the development of a pipeline of diverse attorneys is critical to that effort.