2010 Marks 25th Anniversary
of Scholarship Fund

At his untimely death in 1983, Richard (Yogi) Crowe was working to recruit Native Americans and particularly Eastern Cherokees to attend graduate school. Friends of Yogi Crowe who were concerned about higher education for Eastern Cherokees wanted to honor Yogi by establishing a scholarship fund in his memory.

A Steering Committee comprised of Jack Bradley, Mary Herr, Ruth Littlejohn, Phillip Smith, Julius Taylor, Ruth Taylor and Charlotte Whittemore submitted a resolution to Tribal Council requesting sanctioning by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to pursue funding and establish eligibility guidelines for a scholarship fund for enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians pursuing graduate degrees. Resolution #94 was approved by the Tribal Council on January 5, 1984.

After unsuccessfully exploring options with several colleges and universities to establish the scholarship fund, the Steering Committee decided to form a non-profit organization. The Richard (Yogi) Crowe Memorial Scholarship Fund was incorporated on January 4, 1985 with Mary Herr, Ruth Littlejohn and Charlotte Whittemore being the incorporators. In July 1985, the Scholarship Fund was granted 501 (c) (3) tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service.

The original Board of Directors of the Richard (Yogi) Crowe Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc. were Charles (Jim) Hornbuckle, President; Charlotte S. Whittemore, Vice President, Mary A. Herr, Secretary-Treasurer, William Crowe, Ruth S. Littlejohn, Julius Taylor and Mary Wachacha. The Board decided to establish a perpetual endowment fund with the initial goal being $100,000.

Thanks to many generous benefactors, foundation and tribal grants, the $100,000 goal was reached in 1994. Due to the rising costs of higher education and the growing number of Eastern Cherokees pursuing graduate degrees, the Board of Directors increased the goal for the endowment to $200,000 on December 16, 1994. In December 2004, a sizeable bequest was received from the estate of Robert McMurray allowing us to achieve this goal. On July 11, 2005, the Board of Directors increased the goal of the endowment to $500,000 to again meet the rising costs of higher education. This goal was met in 2007.

Due to the recent economic crisis, our endowment fund has decreased. During this downturn in the economy, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the custodian and investor of the scholarship endowment, took measures to stabilize the funds invested and minimize future decreases in value of the fund balance. The Board of Directors of the Scholarship Fund also elected to invest current and future contributions in more stable investments such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit until the economy stabilizes. This will ensure that these contributions are protected from market fluctuations.

The Board of Directors greatly appreciates the loyal support of our many contributors who have helped our endowment grow throughout the years. Because of your generosity, we have been able to assist 70 tribal members seeking graduate and doctoral degrees. We hope that you will continue supporting our efforts and suggest that you give a special contribution of at least $25 this year honoring a friend, family member or student or in lieu of birthday or wedding anniversary gifts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Yogi Crowe Memorial Scholarship Fund.