Irene Garth Willis Memorial Scholarship Fund

With 139 years of history, Spelman College is a tuition driven institution for women of color, the #1 HBCU for the last 13 years, and #1 college for producing black women with PhD's. In 2011, Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United Stated, addressed a room full of families and said “let’s be clear, the Spelman legacy isn’t about those first 11 women. It’s about everyone who believed in those women, it’s about everyone who invested in those women, right from the beginning.” Irene Garth Willis was in the audience at that graduation and standing right at the arch when one of her granddaughters completed her rights of passage and became a Spelman woman. Upon her passing, Spelman sent their personal condolences noting, “My sincere condolences on the loss of your grandmother, Irene Garth Willis. May it comfort you to know that your Spelman Sisters hold you close and keep you and your family lifted up in prayer, during your time of bereavement.”

In these unprecedented times and in lieu of flowers, the family demonstrates a fierce devotion to the potential of others, making a commitment to give back. Contributions may be made to Spelman College to establish the Irene Garth Willis Memorial Scholarship to support senior girls in S.T.E.M. making every effort to graduate for the next 5 years.

 CLICK HERE TO GIVE, select Other, and type "Irene Garth Willis Memorial Scholarship" in the Designation Box. Next select the tribute dropdown to choose the In-Memory option  and fill out the form with the following: Irene (First Name) Garth Willis (Last Name) check the box  "Notify this person of the gift "so that we may track our collective contributions please use  Shayna Atkins with email address shayna@atkcoinc.com.  

Checks may be mailed to the Division of Institutional Advancement, 350 Spelman Lane, SW, Box 1551, Atlanta, GA 30314-4399. Checks should be written to Spelman College and in the memo line write: "Irene Garth Willis Memorial Scholarship."