Lowell High Class of ’74 establishes Legacy Scholarship with GLCF
Lowell, MA – Lowell High School (LHS) Class of 1974 recently celebrated its 50th Reunion with 160 classmates gathering to reminisce and to fulfill a longstanding goal: Establish a permanent class scholarship fund under the stewardship of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) to endow four, $500 scholarships in perpetuity for deserving LHS students.
With a goal of raising $40,000, the Class of ’74 Legacy Scholarship Fund is well on its way. The reunion event raised a total of $30,000 from silent auctions, raffles and class members’ donations including a generous matching challenge of $10,000 from Marty Meehan ’74, President of the University of Massachusetts system. That challenge was met by two classmates’ donations of $5,000.
Reunion Committee member Joe Regan remarked on the consensus of the group to move forward with a permanent class scholarship, saying “We felt that it would be a great thing to assist current graduates with these scholarships. Fifty years ago, there was not much available to the class of 1974 graduates and we all agreed it would have helped many of us.”
GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan echoed that sentiment adding, “These scholarships are not just an investment in our Lowell High students’ futures; they reflect the caliber of Lowell High graduates. LHS students who apply for scholarships are evaluated on academic, extracurricular, volunteer, athletic, and personal character achievements. In 2024, fifty-one percent of the students receiving LHS scholarships were first in their families to go to college.”
The Class of 1974 Reunion Committee included Diane Brouillette McLeod, Sharon Styman Lussier, Barbara Jezak, Marcia Dolce, Joe Regan, Terrance Gormley, Betsy O’Brien, Brenda Maille, Steve Carignan, Vinnie Lombard and Carol Keirstead. Additional donations to the Lowell High Class of 1974 Scholarship Fund can be made securely online at LHS Class of ’74 Legacy Fund.
GLCF provides opportunities for donors and reunion classes to create a scholarship fund and establish a lasting charitable legacy. To learn more about these empowering opportunities at GLCF, contact Jay Linnehan or to learn more about creating your own LHS Legacy Scholarship, contact Barbara Dunsford at 978-970-1600 or info@glcfoundation.org.
About Greater Lowell Community Foundation –Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of nearly $65 million, GLCF annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. It is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from Foundation staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award more than $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.
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CAPTION: LHS Class of 1974 recently gathered to celebrate its 50th Reunion and to fulfill a longstanding goal: establish a permanent class scholarship fund. LHS Class of 1974 members, from left: Joe Regan, Sharon Styman Lussier, and Marianne Nunnery.
