Guidelines

1. Students must be seniors at one of the six area public high schools: Coahulla Creek, Dalton, Murray County, North Murray, Northwest Whitfield, and Southeast Whitfield. They must hold good academic records and plan to continue their studies beyond the high school level.

2. Applications and guidelines will be provided to the six high schools in January. Information will also be available on Facebook and at www.whitfield-murrayhistoricalsociety.org.

3. Completed applications and any supporting documents are due no later than April 1, 2026, to the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society electronically, via mail, or delivered in person.

4. The Society’s Scholarship Committee will meet in mid-April to consider applicants and select recipients. More than one award may be given at each school. Selection will be made early enough so that awards may be presented at the school’s award ceremony.

5. Scholarships will be awarded to each recipient, although amounts can vary due to the nature of the work done in local history and the availability of funds. Each recipient will also be given a year’s free membership in the Society.

6. The awards at each of the six area public high schools are named in honor of or in memory of educators, community leaders, and Society leaders as follows:

  • In memory of Dr. Don Thomas and in honor of Mrs. Judy Alderman. Dr. Don operated a successful medical practice in Dalton for over 50 years. He served 14 years in the State Senate and 12 years on the Whitfield County Board of Education, 10 years as chairman. Mrs. Alderman established the Prater’s Mill Foundation & the Prater’s Mill Country Fair, that have preserved the historic 1855 mill. Both Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Alderman served on the Historical Society’s board of trustees for many years.

  • In memory of Marion (Pete) Sims & Mary Gene Sims Dykes. Mr. Sims was one of the organizers of the reactivated Historical Society in 1976 and helped obtain the old Crown Cotton Mill office building as headquarters for the Society and start the archives. Mrs. Dykes was a past president of WMHS as well as a years-long volunteer for all things historic in the area.

  • In memory of James and Nell Ruth Loughridge. Both were members of the Historical Society and graduates of Murray High, where Mrs. Loughridge was also a long-time faculty member. She was an early president of the Historical Society, assisted with compiling the Murray County history, helped organize the Friends of the Vann House, and served as a trustee. James was also actively involved in the Murray County Schools, serving as chairman of the Board of Education.

  • In memory of Paul Ross. Mr. Ross was a vital part of the WMHS for over three decades and a vital part of the Murray County business community for even longer. As longtime chairman of the Wright Hotel Committee and the Society’s Board of Trustees, Paul promoted historic preservation both personally and professionally.

  • In memory of Dorothy Sapp Seaton. Mrs. Seaton was a former educator in the Whitfield County Schools and a long-time supporter of the schools. From 1976-78, she served as the first president of the reactivated Historical Society. She also headed the committee that wrote History of Whitfield County in 1999.

  • In memory of I.V. Chandler and in honor of Mr. Marvin Sowder. Mr. Chandler was the former principal of Valley Point High School who became a pioneer in the textile industry. Mr. Sowder is the point person for Civil War sites and information in the northwest Georgia area. He serves as a trustee of the Historical Society.