UNC School of Social Work has received an anonymous donation of $50,000 to support the School’s Hortense McClinton Legacy Scholarship Fund. The donation is one of the largest gifts received thus far for the scholarship fund, which was created earlier this year to honor the work of social work trailblazer Hortense King McClinton.
A graduate of Howard University and the University of Pennsylvania and a former social work practitioner with the Durham County Department of Social Services and the Durham Veteran’s Administration Hospital, McClinton paved the way for other African American social workers in the state of North Carolina. In 1966, McClinton joined UNC’s School of Social Work, becoming the first Black faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill. She retired in 1984 and continues to live in Silver Spring, Md.
This spring, the University dedicated a newly renamed residence hall after McClinton in honor of her historic contributions at UNC. Nearly 250 friends, family, UNC and community leaders, social workers, and School of Social Work faculty, staff, and students also gathered for a special dinner to celebrate the former social work professor.
Although the scholarship donor asked to remain anonymous, in a letter to the School’s development team, the donor noted that their gift is meant to help other students pursue careers in social work and to graduate with limited debt. Once endowed, the scholarship fund will support students who are first in their families to attain a graduate education and who exemplify McClinton’s pioneering spirit.
“Professor McClinton is cemented in the hearts and minds of every former student she touched and now, thanks to this generous donation to the McClinton Scholarship, her legacy will be cemented in our school,” said Kandace Farrar, the School of Social Work’s associate dean for advancement. “We are greatly appreciative of this leadership gift and hope others will join our anonymous donor in honoring Professor McClinton.”
To contribute to the McClinton Legacy Scholarship, please visit: https://ssw.unc.edu/give/.
