Former President Bill Clinton (SFS ’68) and former presidential candidate Bob Dole announced they would chair a scholarship fund attempting to raise $100 million for the families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
The Families of Freedom Scholarship fund will provide financial assistance for postsecondary study to children and spouses of those killed or permanently disabled as a result of the attacks.
According to speakers William C. Nelsen, President of the Citizen’s Scholarship Fund, and Andrew McKelvey, CEO of Telephone Marketing Promotions Worldwide, The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund will be administered by Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation of America, the nation’s largest private-sector scholarship organization, in tandem with the Lumina Foundation for Education, an independent organization promoting post-secondary education, who initiated the fund with a $3 million grant—$2 million in an outright donation, and $1 million pledged as dollar-for-dollar matching incentive.
A second donation of $1 million was made by Telephone Marketing Programs Worldwide, who will also be providing telephone and Internet support services.
Making reference to the many local and individual fund-raising efforts that had been taking place throughout the United States, McKelvey said that the Foundation had been set up to answer the question, “Where do we send money?”
Other major donations included $1 million each in stock from Brocade Communication Systems and ONI Systems of Silicon Valley. Brocade and ONI have also pledged to raise $50 million towards the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund’s goal of $100 million. Harvard University has also pledged $1 million to the fund. According to the fund’s sponsors, 100 percent of all contributions will be used to aid students.
Clinton and Dole were asked to serve as chairmen to give the fund visibility and credibility, according to McKelvey.
Clinton said, “There is no more important need than to see that the children who were affected by this tragedy, when they come of age, whether it be this year or 18 years from now, will have the opportunity to have an education.”
Clinton said that the fund would have, “A profound, long term effect on the young people’s lives and an immediate, enormous psychological effect on families that are feeling bereft.”
Calling the fund “a living memorial,” Dole said that through the fund the children and spouses of the attack victims would be reminded that “America continues to care … that somebody in America cared enough to make a contribution to make it possible for them to pursue their dreams.”
Dole said that the scholarship fund would be open to the children and spouses of the victims from all countries.
Clinton and Dole filmed television and radio public service announcements publicizing the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund in Riggs Library. The television announcement will premier on Oct. 7 on CBS during the Emmy Awards show broadcast.
