Scholarships
The alumni scholarship was named after a former superintendent of schools, Dr. Virgil G. Curtis, who served as the first (1873-1883)and fourth (1905-1914) superintendent.
The idea of the scholarship was originated in 1925 by Arch Lyons from the class of 1912. The scholarship money was raised by assessing the graduating class $1.00 for each member as a a membership fee. In 1926, the first scholarship was selected by the school faculty. That scholarship was in the amount of $50.00. As the amount of money in the fund grew, the number of recipients, as well as the amount of the amount of the scholarship. All scholarships are awarded on interest earned on all monies.
In 2006 , the estate of Stacey R. Skinner from the class of 1935, left a sum of money to be entrusted by the Virgil G. Curtis committee, of which now we are able to present on behalf of him and from the interest earned, the Stacey R. Skinner scholarship.
- Virgil G. Curtis began in 1926 — $469,000 to date
- Stacey Skinner began in 2007 — $9060.00 to date
Virgil G. Curtis Scholarship receives a substantial donation
It started with $.50 dues from each classmate in 1925 when the Corry High School Alumni Association officially announced the creation of the Virgil G. Curtis scholarship fund at the annual dinner. Thanks to countless individual donors throughout the years, the scholarship fund has grown to more than $300,000 and has already awarded nearly $470,000. However, the century-old fund more than doubled earlier this year thanks to a substantial contribution from the trust of Robert “Bob” Brockmann from the Class of 1935.
The alumni association was notified in late 2024 that more than $500,000 had been designated to the scholarship fund according to documentation detailing the contents of Brockmann’s trust.
The contribution came as a complete surprise to the alumni association’s board members.
“We received a large envelope in our P.O. box with statements about the trust; without any other information, I contacted the bank and learned that the alumni association was named in Mr. Brockmann’s trust,” said Stephanie Hajec, who has served as a trustee for 36 years. As the board’s former treasurer, Hajec noted that she was reasonably shocked. “What a great man Mr. Brockmann was to be so generous to the alumni. I couldn’t wait to tell the rest of the board the news.”
It took several months before the transaction was complete and funds were distributed to the alumni association.
“Mr. Brockmann had the knowhow and means to set up a scholarship in his own name if he wanted,” said Danielle Elchynski, chairman of the board of trustees for the alumni association since 2010. “The fact that he gave this money to the Virgil G. Curtis scholarship means to me that he wanted to be part of something for the greater good.”
The idea for the scholarship fund was originally conceived in 1924 in honor of the former superintendent, who had served the district for 16 years over two different terms.
By 1933, the fund had accumulated nearly $2,000 and eight consecutive scholarships had been awarded in the amount of $50 from 1926-1933. But for the next twelve years, without classmate dues - now increased to $1 - collected, no scholarships were awarded as stipulated by the bylaws.
Brockmann’s contribution will have a long-lasting impact.
“What this means going forward for the scholarship is that we should be able to significantly increase the amount of scholarship money we currently give and every year going forward, it will continue to grow,” added Elchynski.
Like many managed scholarship funds, the Virgil G. Curtis is set up to disperse annual interest for the scholarship awards. With added interest from the Brockmann trust in the short time that it has been invested for the alumni association this year, combined with the original fund, the alumni association awarded $21,850 to 13 deserving Corry graduates. The scholarship committee had a daunting task of reviewing 43 applications for the scholarships, a significant increase over previous years.
“Digging into the history of our alumni association is fascinating,” said alumni board trustee, Valerie Watrous. “When we learned about Mr. Brockmann’s huge contribution, we started looking for more information.”
According to records, Brockmann graduated from Penn State and then worked as a surveyor and a farm forester before serving in many management and executive level positions in the banking industry. He was involved in many community organizations in Franklin including the American Red Cross, chamber of commerce and parking authority, as well as the Venango County Industrial Development Corporation. He also served on the school board, Goodwill board and hospital board.
Acknowledging Brockmann’s many commitments, the alumni association recognizes the significance of his choice to honor the scholarship fund with his choice.
As a former Corry teacher, Watrous is looking forward to helping even more graduates in the future.
“Post-secondary education is a huge expense,” she said. “Students need all the help they can get, and I don’t mean just financially. Getting a scholarship from the Corry High School Alumni Association hopefully also reminds them that they are supported by this entire group of alumni that goes back more than 150 years. Those are strong roots.”
In addition to Brockmann, other notable contributions from the Class of 1935 include:
The 1935 Silver Cup, a trophy awarded to the class with the most classmates attending the annual meeting.
The Stacey R. Skinner scholarship, which was established by the classmate’s trust.
Corry High School Alumni Association was established in 1874 and was incorporated in 1929. It is the oldest continuous alumni association in the United States, maintaining an annual meeting each year, including 2020, which was held without a dinner due to restrictions.
Scholarship Application
Applications are available and given out in the guidance department at the high school in mid January. Eligibility goes to graduating seniors. This award is not limited to college tuition exclusively, but may be awarded to anyone accepted into an accredited program. The Board of Directors will take not only the scholastic standing of the particular student but the circumstances of which he/she attends school, the effort put forth by the student, and his/her financial status. Applications will be collected in April, reviewed by the Board of Directors and awarded in May at the assembly.
