Graham S. McConnell Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 2011 as part of the Ferry County Health Foundation, the Graham S. McConnell Memorial Scholarship Fund (GSM Scholarship) is just one piece of the complex puzzle of community medical support in Ferry County.
The mission of the GSM Scholarship Fund is to inspire others to reach their dreams by seeking to financially assist people interested in serving Ferry County in the medical/health care industry. The emphasis of the scholarship fund is for continuing education requirements or new accreditation for current hospital district employees. As the fund grows, it is hopeful that others in the community would benefit.
Doc McConnell
The Scholarship Fund was established to:
- Assist current employees in the Ferry County Hospital District, including the medical clinics and the assisted living and long-term care nursing unit, with scholarships to meet their continuing education requirements or to pursue a new accreditation for the benefit of the local Hospital District.
- Make available to the community educational programs of a medical nature, which may include health and wellness programs.
The Graham S. McConnell Memorial Scholarship Fund is established under the guidelines of, and administered by the Ferry County Health Foundation, a non-profit, tax exempt, 501(c) (3) organization. The McConnell Family has been a major contributor in establishing the scholarship fund and is committed to the legacy Graham S. “Doc” McConnell started when he came to Republic in 1948.
As an example of this legacy, consider the story of a young man named Tom Schlegel, who Doc met when he arrived in Republic. Tom flew B-24 four-engine Bombers out of North Africa, bombing all the fields in Romania and survived to tell about it. After the war, Tom wanted to go to medical school, but didn’t have the necessary pre-requisites to be admitted. Doc contacted Dr. Eastlick, who he knew when he worked as the student health physician at WSU. After meeting with Tom, Dr. Eastlick agreed to make an exception to the pre-requisites because Tom had great skills and Army Medical Corps experience. Tom was admitted to the Pre-Med program. The plan was that in six years, Tom would return to Republic and practice medicine with Doc.
In 1952, Tom was accepted at the University of Washington Medical School and was about to graduate from the Pre-Med Program at WSU, when he died of a sudden heart attack. Tom’s passing was a tragedy of a life too short and the end of a dream. Dr. Eastlick wrote in a letter to Doc regarding Tom’s passing, that Tom had been the finest student they had ever had. Tom was pursuing his dream with the support of his wife and two children.
The McConnell Family, along with the Scholarship Committee members (past and present) wish to thank the community for their support of Doc’s legacy to fund dreams, aptitudes, and commitments to the medical field.
Click here to download scholarship application
Applications may be mailed to:
Ferry County Health Foundation
Attn: GSM Scholarship Fund Committee
P. O. Box 567
Republic, WA 99166