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Thursday, September 09, 2010
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Byrd, William J. Scholarship
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The William J. Byrd Scholarship will provide financial assistance to a Carroll County high school graduate or community college student wishing to minor in Jazz Studies at McDaniel College in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland. No student should be denied the opportunity to be creative solely based upon his or her financial status, and the scholarship(s) will address that need. The fund was established in 2003 by his son, Eric B. Byrd. William J. Byrd was born on December 2, 1923 in Brown Station Alabama. While still a child he heard the landmark recording of “Body and Soul” by the late great tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. This recording was a pivotal moment in the development of Jazz Music and in the life of young William. William found out the principal of an elementary school nearby could teach a variety of instruments, tenor saxophone being one of them, and he wanted lessons. William couldn’t afford the steep 25-cent lesson fee and he went without lessons. His life took a different turn and he eventually married Lorraine Byrd and had a daughter Sharon in addition to Eric. All of his life William has remained a jazz fan and still enjoys hearing CD’s of Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Duke Ellington, and others. William and Lorraine reside in Willingboro, New Jersey, the town where Sharon and Eric grew up.
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Check out these references for additional information:
Link 1: Application and Criteria
Link 2: Brochure
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