Release date: April 19, 2002
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or dhammac@emory.edu

Emory Student Named Truman Scholar for 2002

Emory University student Christopher M. Richardson, son of Catherine Richardson-King and Richard King of Charleston, S.C. (29412), was recently selected as a 2002 Truman Scholar, one of 77 students in the nation to receive the competitive fellowship meant to foster careers in government and public service.

As a Truman Scholar, Richardson will receive $30,000 -- $3,000 for his senior year and $27,000 for graduate study. Truman Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

Once he completes his undergraduate degree in political science and history, Richardson plans to pursue a law degree in preparation for a career as a poverty lawyer.

"I want to give back to the community. I've seen poverty firsthand and want to help all those I can to improve communities," Richardson says.

In addition to his high academic achievement, Richardson has dedicated himself to community service and campus leadership while at Emory. He was the first sophomore ever elected as president of Emory's College Council and previously chaired the council's Race Relations Committee, where he helped author a race relations report for the university. He also is a member of the Society of African-American Leaders, a group for high achieving students with leadership potential.

Richardson, a bone cancer survivor, is a dedicated volunteer for the American Cancer Society and Camp Happy Days for children with cancer, where he serves every summer as a counselor and mentor for children. He also founded an initiative at Emory that gives older computers to inner city residents.

Richardson is a member of the inaugural class of Emory's Kenneth Cole Fellows for Community Building and Social Change, a yearlong, comprehensive program designed to prepare students to be effective community leaders. As a Kenneth Cole Fellow, Richardson will work this summer on urban poverty issues within Atlanta.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to the nation's 33rd president. The foundation awards scholarships for college students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service.

Truman Scholars must be U.S. citizens, have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, be in the top quarter of their class, and be committed to careers in government or non-profit sector. The recipients were elected by 15 independent selection panels on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of "making a difference." This year's Truman Scholars were selected from among 590 candidates nominated by 287 colleges and universities. There have been 2,176 Truman Scholars elected since the first awards were established in 1977.

The 2002 Truman Scholars will assemble May 19 for a weeklong leadership development program at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., and receive their awards in a special ceremony at the Truman Library in Independence, Mo., on May 26. For more information, see www.truman.gov.

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