In 1953 the Marshall Scholarships program was established by an act of the British Parliament. Funded by the British government, the program is a national gesture of thanks to the American people for aid received under the Marshall Plan, the U.S.-financed program that led to the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. The scholarships provide funds for up to two years of study at a British university, and include money for travel, living expenses, and books. Applicants must earn a degree at an American college or university with a minimum of a 3.7 grade point average.
The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission is authorized to award up to 40 scholarships each year. This year 31 scholarships were awarded. It appears from JBHE research, that two of the 31 winners are African Americans.
Ashton Richardson is a summa cum laude graduate of Auburn University in Alabama. He majored in animal science and followed a pre-veterinary school curriculum. Richardson was four-year varsity letter winner on the university’s football team. He is currently a second-year student in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University. He will study international development at the University of Sheffield as a Marshall Scholar.
“Ashton simply bowls you over with his warmth, intelligence, kindness and humility,” said Paul Harris, associate director for national prestigious scholarships in the Honors College at Auburn University. “He is the sort of young man who any set of parents would be totally proud, wondering how they could have possibly produced and raised such a remarkably kind and noble individual.”
Tayler Ulmer is the fifth student from Spelman College in Atlanta to be named a Marshall Scholar. She is a senior at Spelman who is a double major in anthropology/sociology and international studies. As a Marshall Scholar, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in social anthropology of development at the School for Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
“Tayler Ulmer is a wonderful young scholar activist from Chicago who will definitely leave her mark on the world,” said Margery Ganz, professor of history and Spelman’s Marshall Scholarship liaison and adviser.
