To Sustain Our Progress in Access: Campaign Contributions to Whitman Bridges Scholarship Honor President Bridges’ Service

Throughout his tenure, President George Bridges has been a champion of making Whitman a more diverse and inclusive college. This past spring, members of the Board of Trustees established the Whitman Bridges Scholarship Endowment to honor President Bridges.

The Whitman Bridges Scholarship will address the immediate and compelling need for students whose families experience financial distress during their Whitman careers – specifically those whose circumstances jeopardize their ability to continue to graduation.

From getting the students with the greatest need to Whitman with adequate scholarship aid, to making sure that fees, programs, and extracurricular activities are structured to be financially accessible, to making special arrangements for students so they can stay at Whitman when challenges arise, President Bridges has worked hard to make sure that Whitman is as accessible and supportive as possible. The Whitman Bridges Scholarship Endowment will be another way to support the students whose special circumstances require the most help. The endowment will make a difference for Whitman students for years to come.

With the income from the Whitman Bridges Scholarship Endowment and the legacy of George Bridges’ work, the College will build more supportive relationships with those who face financial hardship during their years on campus. The anonymous governing board member who launched the effort adds, “We can think of few investments with higher value.”