Roderick Boyd Porter Memorial Scholarship in the Humanities

The Porter Scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate both a nuanced understanding of the humanities and engagement with the humanities inside and outside the classroom. The humanities are academic disciplines that study human culture, including (but not limited to) arts, classics, history, languages, literature, philosophy, and religion.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a current junior who has attended John Carroll University full-time for at least three consecutive semesters
• Expect to graduate in December 2026 or May/August 2027
• Have a 3.5 GPA or better
• Have a major or strong background in a humanities field
• Demonstrate exemplary participation in campus and student organizations

How to Apply

The application includes a 500–600 word essay, a list of your humanities coursework and activities, and two letters of recommendation from JCU community members. Request your letters at least two weeks before the deadline.

Selection Process

The Porter Committee reviews applications, interviews three to five finalists, and recommends candidates to the Academic Vice President for approval.

Porter Committee

• Dr. Daniel Kilbride, Chair (History)
• Dr. Kristen Ehrhardt (Classical & Modern Languages & Cultures)
• Dr. Deniz Hric (Philosophy)
• Dr. Philip Metres (English)

Questions? Contact Dr. Kilbride.

About Rod Porter

1947–1993 · John Carroll University Class of 1969

Rod Porter graduated from John Carroll in 1969 with honors in Classics and went on to become the founding director of the Cuyahoga County Archives, where he spent a decade preserving the region's historical records and championing historic preservation across Greater Cleveland. A gifted writer and editor, he served on the boards of the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Cleveland Area Arts Council. He was a member of the Rowfant Club, a Cleveland institution founded in 1892 dedicated to books in all their aspects, from their ideas and content to the artistry of their design and construction.

Rod died of cancer in 1993 at age 46. The Friends of Rod Porter '69 established this scholarship in his memory, honoring a man whose love of the humanities shaped both his scholarship and his service to Cleveland.

Past Awardees