As the oldest continuously operating press club in North America, the Milwaukee Press Club takes pride in advancing the craft and profession of journalism. Your contribution demonstrates your commitment to the practice – now and into the future.
The MPC Endowment was established in 1973 to promote the advancement of journalism excellence – from learning how to gather and write news in high school, to creating and presenting information in college newspapers and websites, to awarding achievement at the professional level.
The endowment carries out its mission by providing scholarships to students, funding journalism-related education programs and supporting activities of the Milwaukee Press Club.
The MPC Endowment Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) Wisconsin-registered non-stock corporation. As of September 2023, the MPC Endowment had assets of approximately $600,000, including its own funds and those administered for the Don Walker Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Eric Miller PantherVision Scholarship Fund, the Meg Jones Scholarship Fund, the Tim Cuprisin Memorial Fund, and the Bob Wills Freedom of Information Fund. Funds come from donations made by individuals and from the proceeds of Milwaukee Press Club events. Funding decisions are made by an elected board of directors that operates independently of the club and maintains separate finances.
In addition to educational scholarships and grants, the endowment also supports these Milwaukee Press Club events:
- Wisconsin Excellence in Journalism Contest – This annual contest is open to all state newspapers, radio stations, television stations and web news media, in addition to college-level programs. Awards are presented at the annual Gridiron Banquet.
- Milwaukee Media Hall of Fame – The endowment sponsors this annual Press Club event to recognize those who have contributed to journalism excellence in the region.
Board of Directors
The 2025-2026 Board of Directors
- Pat Hastings, UW-Madison, president
- Corri Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio, vice president
- Tom Heinen, retired, secretary
- David Niles, Niles Digital Marketing, treasurer
- Tamia Fowlkes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, director
- Kathleen Gallagher, Five Lakes Institute, director
- Jim Nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, director
- Erin Richards, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, director
- Nyesha Stone, Carvd N Stone, director
Ex Officio Members
- Maryann Lazarski, Milwaukee PBS, Press Club president
- Patricia Hastings, UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Camila Guarda Velasco, UW-Milwaukee Department of Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies
Scholarships
Endowment funds provide scholarship money to students selected by three universities:
- Meg Jones Scholarship, in honor of the late Milwaukee Sentinel and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter, to University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism students from Wisconsin.
Visit website for more information - Don Walker Scholarship, in honor of the late Milwaukee Journal and Journal Sentinel reporter and editor, to Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee students.
Visit website for more information - Ray Kenney Scholarship, in honor of the late Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel reporter and business editor, to Marquette University students.
- Albert and Francie Silverman Scholarship, in honor of the late Mr. Silverman, a businessman and Milwaukee Press Club supporter, to UW-Milwaukee students.
- Whitney Gould Scholarship, in honor of the late Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial writer and architecture critic who also was an influential journalist at The Capital Times, to UW-Madison students.
- Eric Miller PantherVision Scholarship, in memory of the late photojournalist Eric J. Miller and his outstanding commitment to excellence in the use of visual technology for journalistic story telling.
Visit website for more information - Ed Hinshaw Memorial Scholarship Fund, in memory of the late broadcast journalist and former Press Club president Ed Hinshaw.
- Bob Wills Freedom of Information Fund, in honor of the late Bob Wills, who as a Milwaukee Sentinel editor, Journal Company executive vice president and first president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, was a crusader for government transparency, to the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.
Students should contact the journalism advisor at each university for application details.
Scholarship Recipients
Marquette University – Ray Kenney Scholarship
2020-2021 Andrew Amouzou
2019-2020 Jack H. Ryan
2017-2018 Sophie Bolich, Sean Bush, Jennifer L Fischer, Catherine Petralia
UW-Milwaukee – Al and Francie Silverman Scholarship
2024-2025 Vivian Wagner
2023-2024 Olivia Davis
2020-2021 Margaret Tews
2019-2020 Matthew Cade
2019-2020 Kaitlyn Herzog
2017-2018 Hailey McLaughlin
UW-Madison – Whitney Gould Scholarship
2023-2024 Nick Bumgardner
2022-2023 Celia Hiorns
2019-2020 Samuel Buisman
2018-2019 Lucas Johnson
2017-2018 Andrew Bahl
Grants
Funds donated to the Endowment support journalism-related programs and activities.
Harold Gauer Professional Development Fund
Formed in honor of Harold Gauer, a political consultant, writer, community activist and longtime member of the Milwaukee Press Club, the Harold Gauer Professional Development Fund provides up to $3,500 to high school, college or university journalism programs.
Click here for more information and to download an application form.
MPC Endowment
Contribute to Journalism Excellence
The endowment carries out its mission by providing scholarships to students, funding journalism-related education programs and supporting activities of the Milwaukee Press Club.
Membership
MPC Membership
Support journalistic excellence in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin and become part of the oldest continuously operating press club in the country, founded in 1885. The Press Club also supports the MPC Endowment Ltd., which awards annual journalism scholarships to students and provides grants to journalism programs.