West Side Leader Endowed Scholarship in Memory of Garey I. Samuelson
The West Side Leader Endowed Scholarship was established in 2010 with a gift from The West Side Leader, in memory of Garey I. Samuelson, founding member and publisher of The West Side Leader newspaper.
Garey I. Samuelson was born on February 19, 1936 in Akron, Ohio. He was a graduate of Central-Hower High School and attended Wittenburg College ('58), where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. Mr. Samuelson also served in the Army National Guard and attended the Pittsburgh School of Mortuary Science. Enjoying a lifelong passion for photography, he opened his own studio in Copley Township.
Mr. Samuelson founded The West Side Leader newspaper in 1984, along with business partners Ann Hess, Mary Maxson, Jane Ann Turzillo and Paula Powles. The first issue was published on July 10, 1984 with a distribution of 20,500 copies. Mr. Samuelson worked tirelessly to ensure the publication's continued success. In 1988, he became the sole owner. Since then, both The West Side Leader, and now a sister publication the South Side News Leader, have grown to a combined weekly distribution of more than 65,000. The publications are available in more than 15 northern Ohio communities and can be viewed internationally online.
Mr. Samuelson passed away on August 17, 2003 and left a lasting example of professionalism for his employees. In a special edition celebrating the newspaper's 25th anniversary, then general manager Clark Burns said, "Garey was in every day, supervising and making sure people stayed focused on putting the newspaper out. Until the time he retired he was in on a daily basis, encouraging people to do their best."
Over the years, The West Side Leader has hired many University of Akron students as interns and in positions after graduation. Mr. Samuelson's entrepreneurial spirit and passion for photography lives on through the newspaper's dedicated staff. This scholarship will assist students pursuing their goals of careers in journalism or commercial photography, following in the footsteps of Garey Samuelson.
The West Side Leader Endowed Scholarship was-established to provide support to full-time students at The University of Akron pursuing a bachelor's degree in communications or in photography, with first preference given to students interested in photojournalism or commercial photography. Recipients must demonstrate outstanding personal characteristics, such as a strong work ethic, integrity and an ability to lead by example through community service. Consideration should be given to recipients who are working while pursuing their degrees. Recipients must present financial need and are eligible for renewal with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and will be selected by the University Scholarship Committee.
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