Applications for the 2024 Maurice A. Donahue Memorial Scholarship are no longer being accepted. Please check back in April 2025.
Congratulations to Kayla Williams as being the 2024 recipient of the Maurice A. Donahue Memorial Scholarship. Kayla was sponsored by her grandfather and Hibernian member, Marty Fullwood. Kayla is the daughter of Michael and Katelyn Williams. Kayla will be attending Western New England College and plans to be an Elementary Education teacher. In her application, she stated, “I want to bring joy and education to young children’s lives.” See attached Press Release and article about Kayla. The Catholic Mirror article.
Kayla was honored at the AOH/LAOH Summer Picnic on Sunday, August 25th at Hamel’s Pavilion, 555 Northampton St, (Route 5) Holyoke.
About the Maurice A. Donahue Memorial Scholarship:
The AOH was fortunate to have had the late Maurice A. Donahue, Massachusetts Senate President, as one of its staunch supporters. Maurice supported our speaker’s program, The Shanachie Newsletter, and the Makem-Clancy Concerts.
On April 26, 1980, our beloved Treasurer, the late John F. Kennedy, a local banker, announced that the AOH Scholarship would be named the Maurice A. Donahue Scholarship Award.
Since 1980, it is estimated that the club has awarded up to $60,000.00 to exemplary kin and/or relatives of AOH members. Monies were raised by the Shamrock Open, by the Ned Dean Golf Tournaments by Thomas Francis Dillon (1980-1994), the John F. Kennedy (Banker Jack) Golf Tournaments by Daniel P. Curran (1994-2006), and by the Irish Quilt Raffles by Paula Paoli, President and other members of the LAOH ( 2000-2012).
The AOH Irish Night, held annually, now renamed The Daniel P. Curran Irish Night, is the main fundraiser for the Maurice A. Donahue Scholarship fund, besides the other smaller events held throughout the year.
About Maurice A. Donahue:
“Let us place ourselves in the shoes of the less fortunate, and determine humanely what we all must do- and do it.”
Maurice A. Donahue
Democratic National Convention (Chicago, 1968)
“He lived the words of integrity, honesty, dignity, decency, scholarship, and intellect.”
David Bartley (June 17, 1999)
Maurice A. Donahue served as:
- 1949 – Elected State Representative
- 1951 – Elected State Senator, 2nd Hampden District
- Re-Elected to the State Senate eight times from 1952-1966
- 1959 –1964 Senate Majority Leader
- March 25, 1964-1970 President of the Massachusetts State Senate
- University of Massachusetts – 1970-1988
- Walsh-Saltonstall Professor of Practical Politics
- Director of the Institute for Governmental Services
“Maurice A. Donahue has dedicated his life to helping other people and making his community a better place to live. He worked in a manner not to bring credit upon himself but only to bring aid to others. He truly exemplifies what a public servant should be.”
Mayor Martin J. Dunn (January 6, 1969)
“He stands out as the politician who has done the most for Education in the Commonwealth.”
The Boston Globe
