Evans Scholars Foundation

Last updated
Evans Scholars Foundation
Founded1930
Founder Chick Evans
Location
Area served
United States
Website www.wgaesf.org

The Evans Scholars Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Glenview, Illinois that provides full tuition and housing college scholarships to golf caddies. Operated by the Western Golf Association, the Evans Scholars Foundation has helped more than 11,550 caddies graduate from college since its creation in 1930.

Contents

The Foundation was founded with money earned and donated by famed amateur golfer Charles "Chick" Evans.

History

In 1916, Evans rose to fame by becoming the first amateur golfer to win the Western Amateur, Western Open, U.S. Amateur, and U.S. Open. As a result of those wins and other victories, Evans was given several thousand dollars in royalties for recording golf instructions for the Brunswick Record Company. In addition, he received royalties from a golf book written in 1921. If he accepted this money, he would have lost his amateur status. Evans' mother suggested he put the money to good use by sponsoring a scholarship fund for caddies. Evans himself was unable to finish his schooling at Northwestern University. Evans said his mother "wouldn't think of accepting my money unless we could arrange it to be trusted to furnish educations for deserving, qualified caddies." He also said his mother "pointed out that the money came from golf and thus should go back into golf. It was all her dream — her idea." [1]

Evans went to the Western Golf Association, an organization that conducted national golf championships, to get their support for his scholarship. The WGA initially declined Evans' request, stating that it was a golf organization interested only in running championships, most notably the Western Open. In 1929, Evans successfully lobbied the WGA to manage the scholarship on his behalf with the help of his longtime friend and prominent Chicago tax attorney, Carleton Blunt. [2] In 1930, Evans' and his mother's dream became a reality when two caddies, Harold Fink and Jim McGinnis, were named the first two recipients of the Evans Scholarship. They enrolled at Northwestern, the same university where Evans himself had once been a student. [3] Until World War II, all Evans Scholars attended Northwestern, and, in 1940, the first Evans Scholarship House was established on the Evanston campus. [4]

Program expansion

After Evans' initial investment in the Foundation had run out, Blunt, an avid golfer and philanthropist, agreed to continue to help raise money to send more caddies to college. The organization didn't seek outside funding until 1949, relying solely on the generosity of the Western Golf Association's Directors.

To help grow the program as Blunt raised additional funds for scholarship, the Western Golf Association hired Roland F. “Mac” McGuigan, Dean of Men at Northwestern and Faculty Advisor to the Northwestern Chapter of Evans Scholars, in 1949 to serve as its Educational Director.

Following World War II, the program grew dramatically. [5] In 1950, the Foundation sent just 84 caddies to college. By the end of the decade, the number of Scholars enrolled in college increased to 440 and a number of other Scholarship Houses had been established across the country.

As the number of scholarships grew so did the organization's presence on a number of college campus, mainly those in the Midwest. In total, there are 17 Scholarship Houses. In order of their founding, Evans Scholarship Houses can be found at: Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Michigan State University, Marquette University, University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Purdue University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Missouri, Indiana University Bloomington, Miami University, University of Oregon, University of Kansas, University of Washington and Penn State University. [6]

In 2013, The Evans Scholars Foundation sent Scholars to the University of Notre Dame. Their enrollment marked the first time the program has sent its caddies to the private university in South Bend, Indiana in nearly 50 years.

In 2020 the Western Golf Association announced they formed a new partnership with the University of Chicago, and would begin awarding at least four new Evans Scholarships per year . [7]

Evans Scholars at the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois-Chicago, the University of Maryland and the University of Notre Dame live in designated residence halls on their respective campuses. [7]

There are now 1,070 Scholars at 21 universities across the nation. [8] Since its founding, the Evans Scholars Foundation has invested more than $435 million in the college educations of more than 11,300 Alumni. [9]

Scholarship selection

To qualify for an Evans Scholarship, a caddie must meet four key requirements. Candidates must have at least two years of outstanding caddying service. Candidates must have an excellent high school academic record, including high standardized test scores. Candidates must demonstrate significant financial need. Candidates must also receive letters of recommendation from club and high school officials attesting to the applicant's character. Candidates are personally interviewed at one of a series of Selection Meetings, co-hosted by the Western Golf Association and its affiliated country clubs. [5]

Fundraising

Funding for the scholarships provided by the Evans Scholars Foundation comes from a variety of sources, including private donations, fundraising events and professional and amateur golf tournaments held across the country each year.

Since its founding in 1950, the Western Golf Association's Par Club has been one of the most important and substantial revenue streams for the Evans Scholars Foundation. There are more than 33,000 Par Club members, many of whom belong to the more than 460 WGA member clubs across the country. [10] In 2011, the Foundation launched its first Match Play Challenge campaign, in which a group of donors pooled together gifts of $50,000 and greater to match every gift of $2,500 and greater the Foundation received.

One of the Foundation's most notable fundraising events in recent years has been the Western Golf Association's Green Coat Gala, held annually in Chicago. Golf legends Curtis Strange, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Gary Player and Johnny Miller have all been honored at the gala. [11]

The Foundation is the benefiting charity of the BMW Championship (PGA Tour) and has received more than $35 million from the tournament since BMW became its title sponsor in 2007. [12] In addition to those proceeds, BMW has also agreed to give the program $100,000 if a player gets a hole-in-one during championship play as Steve Stricker did in 2012 at Crooked Stick Golf Club, [13] Hunter Mahan did during the 2013 BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club, [14] Jordan Spieth did in 2015 during the BMW Championship at Conway Farms [15] and Jason Day did it at the 2017 BMW Championship at Conway Farms. [16]

Awards

Charity Navigator, a nonprofit organization that evaluates other charitable organizations across America based on criteria ranging from fiscal responsibility to accountability and transparency, has consistently given the Evans Scholars Foundation a four-star rating, the highest-possible rating. [17] In 2013, the National Scholarship Providers Association, a group whose members include the Ford Foundation, the Magic Johnson Foundation and other notable nonprofits, named the Evans Scholars Foundation as its Scholarship Provider of the Year. [18]

Notable members

Several Evans Scholars Alumni have gone on to excel in the business world and other fields. They include CEOs Sam Allen of John Deere, Thomas Falk of Kimberly-Clark, former longtime chief of Nuveen Investments Timothy Schwertfeger, [19] Iridium Communications CEO Matt Desch, [20] and oil and gas magnate George Solich. [21] John Schubeck, who anchored local newscasts in Los Angeles, won a scholarship while at the University of Michigan.

Former Golfweek senior writer Jeff Rude [22] and ESPN golf writer Bob Harig [23] have written about their experiences as Evans Scholars.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Woods</span> American professional golfer (born 1975)

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and is one of the most famous athletes in modern history. He is an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW Championship (PGA Tour)</span> Golf tournament held in the United States

The BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament which is the penultimate FedEx Cup playoff event on the PGA Tour schedule. Introduced in 2007, the BMW Championship was previously known as the Western Open. The Western Golf Association, which founded and ran the Western Open, runs the BMW Championship. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, the PGA Tour named the BMW Championship its Tournament of the Year. The BMW Championship is the longest running regular PGA Tour event on the calendar outside of the four major tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chick Evans</span> American amateur golfer (1890–1979)

Charles E. "Chick" Evans Jr. was a prominent American amateur golfer of the 1910s and 1920s. Evans, who won the 1910 Western Open, became the first amateur to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in one year, a feat he achieved in 1916. Evans won the U.S. Amateur again in 1920, and was runner-up three times. Selected to the Walker Cup team in 1922, 1924, and 1928, he competed in a record 50 consecutive U.S. Amateurs in his long career. Evans achieved all of this while carrying only seven hickory-shafted clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augusta National Golf Club</span> Golf course in Georgia, United States

Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta National, Augusta, or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does not disclose its income, holdings, membership list, or ticket sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Ouimet</span> American amateur golfer

Francis DeSales Ouimet was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913 and was the first non-Briton elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Donald</span> English professional golfer

Luke Campbell Donald MBE is an English professional golfer and former world number one. He plays mainly on the U.S.-based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour.

Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses. Aronimink is currently ranked 78th in Golf Digest's "Greatest Courses," 44th in "Toughest Courses" and 55th in Golfweek's "Classic Courses." In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Golf Association</span>

Founded in 1899, the Western Golf Association (WGA) is one of the United States' oldest golf organizations. Its headquarters are located in Glenview, Illinois. The WGA sponsors six golf tournaments: the Western Junior; the Western Amateur; the Women's Western Junior; the Women's Western Amateur; the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank on the Korn Ferry Tour and the BMW Championship, a FedEx Cup playoff event. The WGA has also administered the Evans Scholars Program for deserving caddies since its inception in 1930 through the Evans Scholars Foundation.

The Western Open was a professional golf tournament in the United States, for most of its history an event on the PGA Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Country Club</span> Country club in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

The Beverly Country Club, located in the American city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of Chicago's historical cornerstones. The club was founded in 1908 and initially designed by George O'Neil, also the club's first professional golfer. Shortly after, well-known golf course architect Tom Bendelow helped fortify the layout. In 1918, the legendary architect Donald Ross created and executed a master plan to renovate the course. In 1919, Eddie Loos was serving as the head professional and paired with Jim Barnes to win a memorable match played against Jock Hutchison and Bob MacDonald.

William P. Turnesa was an American amateur golfer, best known for winning two U.S. Amateur titles and the British Amateur. He was one of seven famous golfing brothers; Phil (1896-1987), Frank (1898-1949), Joe (1901-1991), Mike (1907-2000), Doug (1909-1972), Jim (1912-1971), and Willie (1914-2001). Willie was the only brother not to turn professional. The family was referred to as a "golf dynasty" in a 2000 New York Times article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Cantlay</span> American professional golfer

Patrick Cantlay is an American professional golfer. He had a successful amateur career and was the number one golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 55 weeks. He has won eight times on the PGA Tour as well as the 2021 FedEx Cup.

The Caddie Hall of Fame recognizes professional golf caddies, others who caddied in their youth and those who support the profession. It was originally created by the Professional Caddies Association in 1999 but has been administered by the Western Golf Association since 2011.

Emma Ruth Talley is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. While playing as an amateur at the University of Alabama, she won the 2013 U.S. Women's Amateur by defeating Yueer Cindy Feng in the 36-hole final match, 2 & 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Homa</span> American professional golfer

John Maxwell Homa is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. In college, he won the individual 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. As a professional, he has won six times on the PGA Tour.

Rhein Gibson is an Australian professional golfer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryson DeChambeau</span> American professional golfer

Bryson James Aldrich DeChambeau is an American professional golfer who plays on the LIV Golf League. He formerly played on the PGA Tour, and has won one major championship, the 2020 U.S. Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottie Scheffler</span> American professional golfer (born 1996)

Scott Alexander Scheffler is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is currently the world number one, first reaching the position in the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2022, and has held that ranking for over 50 weeks. He has won one major championship, the 2022 Masters Tournament. He is the only player to win The Players Championship in back-to-back years.

Anthony "Tony" J. Saliba is a trader, author, and entrepreneur in Chicago, Illinois, who currently serves as CEO of Matrix Holding Group, Mercury Digital Assets, Option Technology Solutions, and Fortify Technologies.

Kim Kaufman is an American professional golfer and LPGA Tour player. She was runner-up at the 2015 Blue Bay LPGA.

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Charles (1921). Chick Evans' Golf Book. Chicago: Reilly & Lee (for Thos E Wilson). Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  2. ↑ Chicago Tribune (1988). "Carleton Blunt, 82, Evans Scholars Official". Chicago: The Tribune Company. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ Chicago Tribune (1985). "Harold Fink, 74, Retired Rand Mcnally Exec". Chicago: The Tribune Company. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ White, Erin (2010). "A Facelift for the Evans Scholars House". Evanston: Northwestern University. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Unknown (2014). "Evans Scholars Foundation". Unknown: BMW North America. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ "WGA ESF | Scholarship Houses". WGA ESF | Scholarship Houses. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  7. 1 2 RELATIONS, Submitted by DITTOE PUBLIC (2020-11-25). "University of Chicago now part of Evans Scholars program". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-04-13.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  8. ↑ WGA ESF (2019). "ESF Sends Record 1,000 caddies to college". Chicago. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ unknown (2019). "WGA ESF: Fast Facts". unknown. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  10. ↑ WGA (2019). "WGA ESF: Who We Are". WGA. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  11. ↑ unknown (2016). "Green Coat Gala Raises Record Amount for Caddies". Chicago: WGA ESF. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  12. ↑ Staff (2019). "BMW Continuing Title Sponsorship of BMW Championship". Chicago: WGA ESF. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Stricker records Hole-in-One". PGA Tour. September 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  14. ↑ Rude, Jeff (2013). "Mahan wins car with ace at BMW Championship". New York City: Golf Week. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  15. ↑ Harig, Bob (2016). "Jordan Spieth's ace paid off for Purdue Engineering student". ESPN. Carmel, Indiana. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  16. ↑ Romine, Brentley (2017). "Jason Day Gives Back After BMW Ace, Finds Comfort With New Caddie". Lake Forest, Illinois: Golfweek. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  17. ↑ Charity Navigator (2013). "Evans Scholars Foundation". Glen Rock, NJ: Charity Navigator. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  18. ↑ Amy Weinstein (2013). "National Scholarship Providers Association announces 2013 Scholarship Providers of the Year" (PDF). Boulder, CO: National Scholarship Providers Association. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  19. ↑ Rude, Jeff (2010). "Evans Scholars: The Loop of their Lives". New York City: GolfWeek. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  20. ↑ Desch, Matthew J. (2011). "From Software to Satellites". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  21. ↑ Migoya, David (2013). "Oil and gas magnate George Solich has knack for winning move". Denver: The Denver Post. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  22. ↑ Golfweek. "Jeff Rude". Unknown: Golfweek. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  23. ↑ Bob Harig. "Caddies on Campus". Hilton Head Island: Links Magazine. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.