Sister Thea Bowman Foundation – Knights of Columbus Scholarships
Sister Thea Bowman (1937 – 1990), an African-American Religious, has inspired people with her urgent and uplifting call for better education for children of the black community.
Sister Thea was the granddaughter of a slave from Canton, Mississippi; a convert to the Catholic religion and a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration.
Having received a Catholic school education including a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, Sister Thea was committed to providing value-centered Catholic school education to economically disadvantaged African-American children.
The Sister Thea Bowman Black Catholic Educational Foundation was established as a legacy of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA.
In December 1996, the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, in partnership with the Foundation, authorized a four-year grant in the amount of $25,000 per year to support deserving African-American students pursuing a Catholic college education. Each of five students received a $5,000 renewable scholarship effective for the 1997-1998 academic year. The scholarships under this grant are the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation-Knights of Columbus Scholarships.
Periodically, the Board of Directors has approved continuation of the grant program. In August 2005, the directors authorized an increase in the amount of the four-year grant to $37,500 per year.