For nearly 50 years the Bruce L. Crary Foundation has been quietly making a difference in the lives of students in the North Country. To date this small foundation has helped over 7,000 students pay for their higher education with grants totaling over $11,000,000. Bruce L. Crary, a resident of Westport, NY, was interested in helping young people from the Adirondack area. When he died in a car accident in 1962, at 41 years of age, most of his estate was left as a legacy to assist with college expenses for “deserving students in need of financial assistance.” The Foundation established in 1973 became a Supporting Organization of the Adirondack Foundation in 2007. It provides scholarships through the Crary Education Fund to full-time undergraduate students who are residents of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, and Warren counties.
Grants are approved by the Foundation's Board from recommendations made by Guidance Counselors and/or Selection Committees at each of the thirty-nine area schools that Crary serves. Selection Committees consist of: Principal/Superintendent, School Board member, Guidance Counselor, community representative, and a former Crary recipient if available. Grants in a range of $600 to $1200 are made to students based primarily on financial need, followed by academic qualification. A Crary Award is renewable for each of four years of undergraduate study.
Grants are approved by the Foundation's Board from recommendations made by Guidance Counselors and/or Selection Committees at each of the thirty-nine area schools that Crary serves. Selection Committees consist of: Principal/Superintendent, School Board member, Guidance Counselor, community representative, and a former Crary recipient if available. Grants in a range of $600 to $1200 are made to students based primarily on financial need, followed by academic qualification. A Crary Award is renewable for each of four years of undergraduate study.