St. Luke's Richard M. Whitcomb Scholarship Endowment Fund hit a historic high of $3 million dollars in March 2013. The fund, named to honor Headmaster Emeritus Dick Whitcomb, benefits underserved students who embody Whitcomb’s passion for academic curiosity and strength of character.
Whitcomb was Head of St. Luke’s from 1980-2002. Since retiring, Whitcomb has actively built the fund, improving the lives of children with great potential but limited means. “I won’t be satisfied until we reach $5 million,” said Whitcomb. “This is the kind of thing that keeps me going. Every kid can learn and do well. They just need the right resources. I’m going to the college graduation of one of my St. Luke’s kids next weekend. He earned both his law degree and an M.B.A. Can you believe that? All kids need are some resources and then they can do anything.”
Whitcomb is also a devoted supporter of Norwalk’s Carver Center, where thousands of children benefit from academic support and enrichment programs. Carver recently celebrated its 75th anniversary and honored Whitcomb for 35 years of helping children.
Mark Davis succeeded Whitcomb, becoming St. Luke’s Head of School in 2002. Davis has been credited with leading St. Luke’s into its current competitive position while preserving the heart, soul, and service orientation that are Whitcomb hallmarks: “St. Luke’s continues to benefit from Dick’s legendary dedication to children,” said Davis. “The Whitcomb Scholarship helps many individual students, and helps fuel St. Luke’s diversity efforts—that benefits the whole school. The world is increasingly flat and interconnected. Exposure to different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures makes for better, well-rounded students and deeper appreciation for differences. Dick’s continued service to St. Luke’s students means the world to us.”
Jeffrey Joseph, a 2011 St. Luke’s graduate and current Emory University student, was a Whitcomb Scholar. In a heartfelt letter to Whitcomb, Joseph wrote: “Being a recipient of this scholarship has brought an influx of wonderful people into my life. I’ve gained mentors, second families, and great friends...To be quite honest, if I could, I’d write a book about how thankful I am for your presence in my life. You’ve truly changed my life and made me a better man. It is said that all life comes to end. Well, if that’s the case, I hope you get to see another fifty years of me making you proud and changing the world. All that I am and all that I know is because of you.”
