Grace University Lutheran Church
Grace University Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for Peace and Justice

The Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for Peace and Justice was organized in 1988 to honor Reverend Vincent L. Hawkinson, a lifelong advocate for peace. Hawkinson served as pastor of Grace University Lutheran Church for 30 years. He was a community leader who witnessed courageously to a vision of political and social change. He vigorously advocated peacemaking and racial equality and stood up for the poor, the oppressed, and the powerless. He died in 2001 at age 86.

The Foundation was founded on the belief that alternatives to violence and the use of military power must be found for a permanent resolution of interpersonal and global conflict. Seeking new avenues to peace and justice was Pastor Hawkinson's life work. The Foundation keeps his dream alive by granting scholarships to students who have demonstrated a commitment to peace and justice and by honoring those who pursue these beliefs.

The Hawkinson Honorary Award

The Foundation recognizes individuals whose life work has been dedicated to the values personified by Pastor Hawkinson. Since the Foundation’s inception, the following individuals have received the Hawkinson Honorary Award:

  1. 2007 Carol and Lowell Erdahl
  2. 2006 Marie and John Braun, Kay and Ralph Hilgendorf
  3. 2005 Luther Granquist, Gene and Mary Lou Ott
  4. 2004 Donald Irish
  5. 2003 Brigid McDonald, Jane McDonald, Kate McDonald, Rita McDonald
  6. 2002 Eleanor and John Yackel
  7. 2001 Lynn Elling
  8. 2000 Marv Davidov
  9. 1999 Joseph Schwartzberg
  10. 1998 Larry Cloud Morgan
  11. 1997 Louise Pardee
  12. 1996 Eleanor Otterness
  13. 1992 Arthur and Martha Sternberg
  14. 1991 Joel Mugge
  15. 1990 Stanley and Martha Platt
  16. 1989 Marianne Hamilton, Polly Mann
  17. 1988 Mulford Q. Sibley

The Hawkinson Scholarship

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $80,000 in scholarships to students, enabling them to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies here and around the world. These students are inspired by the same ideals that Pastor Hawkinson embodied.

The scholarship is funded by donations from friends and members of the Foundation and by endowment earnings. Past scholarship recipients have come from many faiths, including Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam.

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Application Deadline

Applications for the Hawkinson Scholarship are due by March 15 each year.

Application Rules

  1. Applicants must be a resident of (or currently attending school in) Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin.
  2. Scholarship finalists must be available for an in-person interview in Minneapolis.
  3. Scholarship recipients must attend an award ceremony in the fall of the year the scholarship is awarded.
  4. Awards are announced by July 1.
  5. Scholarships are awarded without regard to religious affiliation.
  6. All decisions by the Hawkinson Foundation Selection Committee are final.

More Information / Making Contributions

For more information about the Foundation or to make a contribution, contact the Foundation c/o Grace University Lutheran Church.