“the scholarship that no one wants”
The Endowment
The Hamlett Endowment was established in 2005 by a small group of alumni from Goodpasture Christian School who wanted to do something affirmative to honor a teacher, Conn Hamlett, who had directly impacted not only their lives but the lives of many other students and individuals as well.
The proposal of these alumni to take the lead in this project was accepted by the school and the process of fund raising commenced. One of the first steps in the process was for these alumni to meet with Conn Hamlett to seek his consent to this project and to ask him what his preferences would be for the use of the funds. His response was positive and immediate.
Mr. Hamlett suggested that the funds to be raised be used to provide needs based financial assistance for educational purposes to students who had some affiliation with Goodpasture Christian School and who had lost one or both parents. Thus, the scholarship has been called the “scholarship that no one wants.“
The History
It has been said that a child is truly blessed if he has even one extraordinary teacher during the course of his educational career. For over 30 years, for many students at Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee, that extraordinary teacher has been Conn Hamlett. Typically, whenever a group of Goodpasture graduates get together, before long, there are “Mr. Hamlett stories” being told.
Conn Hamlett retired from teaching at the end of the 2006 school year. He taught at Goodpasture for 30 years straight, plus another 4 years prior to a brief hiatus, for a total of 34 years at the school. During that time, he has profoundly influenced many students and in many instances the children of former students. Several years prior to his retirement, Conn Hamlett became a national personality when he started sharing his unique knowledge and sense of humor on the radio as one of the personalities on WLAC 1510 AM popular sports-talk series called Primetime Sports.
In the fall of 2005, although it had been discussed by them for many years, three of his former students – John Harris (’79), Rob Anderson, and David Lewis (both ’78) – worked with the school administration, and in particular Bill Ruhl, the school’s original President and one of its founders, to establish The Hamlett Endowment.
A number of activities and events were planned for 2005-2006 school year, both to honor Mr. Hamlett and to fund the Endowment. These events include a reception, a fundraising dinner and special “Mr. Hamlett’s Last Class”. Mr. Hamlett received many awards and congratulations at the reception and dinner. Among those was a Special Resolution passed in his honor by the Metropolitan Government; a Joint Resolution (HJR1112 104th General Assembly) by the Tennessee General Assembly and a letter from the President of the United States.
The Goal
While the goal is best stated as raising enough funds to make sure that the intended beneficiaries are fully served, that goal has to be reached in steps just as a child learns to walk or a young 9th grader learns Latin one step or word at a time. An initial goal of at least $100,000 has been set for the Endowment in order to provide a sufficient foundation to sustain the Hamlett Endowment. Every dollar toward the goal is equally important.
The Leadership
The Hamlett Endowment operates under the supervision of four (4) trustees who upon its incorporation became the corporation’s Board of Directors. These board members are Conn Hamlett, Rob Anderson, David Lewis and John Harris. The Hamlett Endowment functions independent of Goodpasture Christian School. All decisions regarding the Endowment and actions on scholarship requests or suggestions are made by the trustees independently of the school, its administration and/or its board of directors.
Contributions Are Tax Deductible
The Hamlett Endowment is a Tennessee Not-for-Profit corporation. It has also been approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a Section 501(c)(3) charity. Furthermore, the endowment is also registered with the State of Tennessee as a charitable organization.
Contributions to the Hamlett Endowment, Inc., are tax deductible under IRS Section 501(c)(3) as charitable contributions. The Endowment will issue receipts for contributions of $250 or more in compliance with IRS requirements. Furthermore, the Endowment will issue a receipt for any contribution upon request. The Endowment also has the ability to accept contributions by payroll deduction if the employer supports that payroll feature.
Requests for Assistance
Requests for financial assistance should be made in writing and addressed as follows:
The Hamlett Endowment, Inc.
Attn: John I. Harris III
3310 West End Avenue, Suite 460
Nashville, Tennessee 37203