The Jack '43 and Spike '68 Buckley Scholarship Fund was established in 2015. The fund provides four years of financial assistance to one qualified Upper School student who demonstrates the greatest of need and maintains good academic standing at the school.
The scholarship fund was established three years ago by alumnus Spike Buckley in honor of his father. "I wanted to honor my father, who died in 2009 and was a model student at EA. He gave me the EA experience, which has been so valuable in my life," shared Mr. Buckley.
To mark his 50th reunion, Mr. Buckley has allocated one million dollars in his estate plans to endow the scholarship fund. "I think that economic and ethnic diversity in the student body is good for all concerned. Also, I have no children of my own, so this is a way for me to feel that I've had at least a small impact on someone launched into the real world."
Mr. Buckley is impressed with the first scholarship recipient. "He seems to be old school in the sense that he exhibits substance over style. He's driven, curious and seems to want to make the world a better place through his efforts. I think my father would have been proud of him and who he will become."
A requirement of The Jack '43 and Spike '68 Buckley Scholarship Fund is that the student should demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the classroom and embody the school motto, Esse Quam Videri.
"I realize that I won the lottery compared to what could have been the case," said Mr. Buckley. "I had great parents and they exposed me to a school that I'm convinced gave me a head start in dealing with the real world. I wanted other less fortunate kids to have that experience. The big [50th] reunion slowed me down just enough to insure some continuity in the scholarship."
Mr. Buckley attended EA for three years, during Lower and Middle School, before his family moved to Connecticut. "After browbeating them for four years, they relented and somehow convinced the family of a classmate to take me in. I wore out that welcome after a year, but my aunt and uncle stepped up to save the day and took me in for my senior year," said Mr. Buckley.
Other favorite EA memories include: "train rides to school, football games, track time with George Greenwood, the stench of the locker room, just hanging out with my classmates, a bunch of whom are still great friends."