MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association is pleased to announce that 39 individuals have been named MacMurray Scholars and will receive awards between $1,500 – $5,000 towards their college education. In keeping with MacMurray College’s commitment to academic excellence and service, scholarships are based on academic performance and applications showing service and relationship to MacMurray’s values in their essays.

In making the announcement, David Ekin, MacMurray Foundation Chair, stated that “due to the generosity of MacMurray College Alumni, we were able to maintain the minimum scholarship award that we offer of $1500. A total of 39 scholarships were awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Foundation continues to support the local Jacksonville community by awarding a scholarship to a recipient of a Jacksonville Promise award. Except for two of its awards that are specifically designed to allow for those without a MacFam connection, including the Jacksonville Promise award, all the rest of the awardees have a direct connection to MacFam, either through being a former student, a relative of an alumni or faculty or staff member or were sponsored by a MacFam member. Unfortunately, we did not have enough donations to make awards to all of the worthy applicants.” Ekin noted

Sandy Watson, Chair of the Scholarship Committee and a Board member, is “pleased that the Foundation was able to maintain the number of scholarships awarded. We plan to continue to fulfill this mission of the Foundation by providing scholarships to individuals with an association to MacMurray College for years to come and thus to carry on the legacy of MacMurray College.” Watson noted over $63,000 was awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year with awards ranging from $1,500 to $5,000.

15 award recipients are from Jacksonville or the surrounding area, including Springfield, and recipients come from eight states other than Illinois. The recipients plan to attend schools in 13 different states, from Connecticut to Michigan, Washington, Alabama, Florida and several others.

The Foundation also holds the MacMurray College Archives with memorabilia and artifacts displayed in Mac Hall of the Jacksonville Area Museum. The Foundation keeps alumni engaged with each other through e-newsletters and the upcoming September 12 – 14 gathering of alumni in Jacksonville, as well as the an online alumni directory. MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization. For more information about the Foundation or their scholarship program please visit www.MacAlumFoundation.org. MacMurray College closed in 2020 after 174 years as an institution of higher education.