Named Scholarships

The creation of a new scholarship award, the Named Scholarship Award, was announced at the NSRC Fund's 20th anniversary celebration in September 2000. A Named Scholarship Award can be established by a contribution of $20,000. Named Scholarships carry a one-time stipend of $1,000 for each recipient.

Every year, a local awards committee selects a group of students to receive scholarship awards. From this group of successful candidates, additional awards are given to selected students who are designated as Named Scholars. Since there are currently five Named Scholarship Awards funded, a minimum of five will be awarded each year. The biography or history of the individual(s)/organization being commemorated and the name of the donor are published in each awards program. The student receiving the award is designated as the Named Scholar in the printed program, as well. In this way, both the donor and the person(s)/organization being honored by the Named Scholarship will be remembered annually, at each awards ceremony.

NSRC Fund supporters have established six named scholarships, awarded annually to the top six scholarship award winners.

The Nobu Kumekawa Hibino Scholarship
(Established by the family and friends of Nobu Kumekawa Hibino)

Lily Abiko
Aiko Adachi
Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)
Carol Azuma
Haru Baba
Miyoko Bassett
Paul Bell
Susan Bowers
Helen Brill
Dr Roger Buckley
Mary Jo Hollender & Jo Burns
S.J. & Helen Cannata
Carolyn & Peter Caprioglio
Lisa & Erben Cook
Joanne Cosenza
Setsuo & Norma Dairiki
Lynne Dawson
Fe Delos-Santos & Alanson Minkler
Lillian Ota Dotson
Warren & June Eijima
Minoru & Aya Endo
Osamu & Teruko Fujikawa
Mollie Fujioka
Yasuko Fujita
George Fukui
Heizo & Reiko Furusawa
Janet Gee & Steve Nishino
A.G. Giugliano & T. Istanbullu
Evelyn & Gary Glenn
Robin Gurlitz
Haruo & Mary Hanamura
Sats & Masako Hane
Taiko Hara
William & Haru Hayakawa
Michihiko & Bernice Hayashida
Elizabeth Hedden
Diane Hibino & John Triplett
Janice & Yuk Hibino
Jean Hibino & Don Misumi
June Hibino
Shirley Hibino
Tom & Mary Ann Hibino
Paul Honda
Fred & Irene Hoshiyama
Yumiko & Bob Hough
Nina Vitale Huber
Toyomasa Iguchi
David Iino
Y. & J. Iino
K. & S. Koshio
Chizu & Ernest Iiyama
Yaoko Inuma & Yoshiko Kumekawa
Jiro & Tama Ishihara
Kenzo Ishimaru
Harvey & Rose Itano
Susumu & Minnie Ito
Tomoko Itoh
Nick & Rhoda Iyoya
Roberta & Robert Jacobs
Sachi Kajiwara
Frank Kami
(the late) Toshio Kaneko Family
Milton Kanzaki
James & Shigeko Kawano
Christine Keener
Nancy Sue Kennedy
Hayato & Doris Kihara
Alison Kim
Jin & Kay Kinoshita
Kimiko & Ray Kitayama
William & Kikue Kiyasu
Shigenari & Tomoko Kotayashi
Yutaka & Maureen Kotayashi
Emiko Koga
Kara Kondo
Marilyn Kopacz
Jim & Toby Kutota
Kiyochi & Kuni Kumekawa
Ryozo Glenn & Yoshiko Kumekawa
Seiichi & Kayo Kumekawa
Paul Kusuda
John Larrabee, Jr.
Midori Lederer
Diana Lippert
J.B. & Francoise Lovejoy
Masako MacFarlane
Mt. Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Assoc. (MACIPA)
William Marutani
George & Kimi Matsumoto
Joe & Jane Matsumoto
Yoshio Matsumoto
Paul & Sachiko Matsumura
Diane Misumi
Haruko Misumi
Chiyo Moriuchi & Mark Haber
Rosemary & Alain Munkittrick
Mary Murai
Kenji & Seiko Murase
Mary Murata
Michio & Mae Nakajima
Shiro & Keiko Narita
Grant & Grace Noda
Kesaya E. Noda
Kaz & Sumire Nomura
Ki & Elly Nomura
Yulie & Akira Nose
Shinko Obata
Marion Oishi Suzuki
Rick & Karen Okabe
Earle T. Okumura Family
Ted & Fumi Ono
Helen & Bill Oshima
Mary Otani
Miyoko Ozawa
Koho & Viola Ozone
Robert & Stella Pierce
Ana Maria Ponce
Julia Rankin
Elizabeth & Thomas Reichard
Margaret Rich
Marjorie Rundle
Tetsuo Saito
Mary Sanady
Minoru & Yaeko Sano
Yone & Daisy Satoda
Virginia Scardigli
Yuri & Harry Shibata
Katsutaro Shibayama
Morijiro Shibayama
(the late) Daigoro & Tsugi Shibayama
Kiku Shimazaki
Takiko Shinoda
Jack & Nancy Sneider
Tomi Sollen
Yuki Sonoda
R. V. & Joan Sorenson
Robert & Betty Stevens
Bill & Maria Stevenson
Saburo & Hatsune Sugenoya
Toku & Yone Sugiyama
Ruth Suyenaga
Esther & George Suzuki
Asaye Takagi & Paul Kageyama
May & Tetsuo Takayanagi
John Takeuchi
Minoru & Iyo Tamaki
Eru Tanabe
Henry & Sachie Tanaka
Patricia & John Tanaka
Muriel Test
Betty Toguchi
Gertrude Toll
Chiye Tomihiro
Hazel Triplett
Shozo & Chieko Tsuchida
Minoru & Atsuko Uchida
Morimichi & Masako Uchida
Yutaka & Toyoko Uchida
Mary Ann Utsumi
Chiyo Wada
Mabel Yamada
Yasuo Yamada
Kim & Martha Yamasaki
Rachel Yasui
George & Bess Yasukochi
Helen Yoshida
Takeko Yoshida & Miyoko Nakamura
Carolyn Zuena

Koh, Mitsu, and Dr. Kotaro Murai Scholarship
(By the Murai Family)

Koh & Nancy Murai
Mrs. Kotaro Murai
Mr. & Mrs. George Normandin
Pfizer, Inc.
Ann G. Wiley

Lafayette and Mayme Noda Scholarship
(Established by Walter N. Frank)

Molly W. Arnold
Chrysanthi & Peter Bien
Walter N. & Ruth Frank
Sydney W. Jarvis
Audrey Logan
James & Joan Postlethwaite Longcope
David Noda & Kay Nishiyama
Kesaya E. Noda
Sharon & Dan Okada
Mary K. Soderberg
John Yin

Gladys Ishida Stone Named Scholarship
(Gladys Ishida Stone)

Betty & N .V. Bhagavan
Edward & Florence Gross
Kimi Hara
Hannah S. Hogan
Keiko & Takatoshi Ito
Toshie Kato
Ruth Kumata
Chun Jo Liu & Chun-Hwei Chang
Alice & Yo Matsumoto
Bernice R. Merry
Michiko & S.F. Miyamoto
Yori Nakata
Mary Ogura
Tom & Martha Oye
Margaret C. & Sam Shiozawa
Tomika H. Sollen
Gladys Ishida Stone
Esther Suzuki
Calvin Y. Takagi
Ruth N. Tambara
Maye Umemura
Hatayo Wallen

Kay Yamashita Named Scholarship
(Established by Yutaka Kobayashi)

Mariko I. Aki
Carol lino Azuma
Betty & N.V. Bhagavan
Albert & Sumiko (Fujii) Biderman
Jeanne H. Bradner
Shirley E. Cherkasky
Jane Ao Crawford
Neil G. Dion
Barbara A. Dunn
Martha (Oshima) Egan
Mari Eijima
Aya & Minoru Endo
Takako Endo
Frank & Amy Eto
Betty & James Ezaki
Mollie Fujioka
Kim Fujiura
Marguerite F. Fukami
John & Setsuko Fuyuume
Jennifer Gladden
Arthur & Ann Gorai
Margaret P. Hall
Ursula & Terry Hayashi
Nobu & Yosh Hibino
Fred & Irene Hoshiyama
Buro Hosoume
Noboru Honda
David Iino
Miyeko & Joe Ike
Howard & Ella Iki
Robert & Yaeko Imon
Rhoda Iyoya
Kay & Shizuo Kakutani
June & Theodore Kaneko
Merle & Mark Kaneko
Kiyoko Kasai & Victor T. Fujiu
Frances & Lester Katsura
Hayato Kihara
Jim & Shigeko Kirihara
George Kita
Ray & Kimiko (Fujii) Kitayama
Emily & Seiji Kiya
Hedwick Klammer
Yutaka Kobayashi
Eugene & Lillian Kodani
Grace So Kohatsu
Ruth Kikue Kumata
Yoshiko Kuwabara
Area A. Laub
Kikuye Masuda
Alice & Yo Matsumoto
George & Rosie T. Matsuura
George & Elaine Matsuyama
Orlena R. McKenzie
Mary C. Mochizuki
Eiko Moritani
Toshiko & Iwao Moriyama
Yoshinori & Mikiko Murata
Tak Nagayama
Pershing & Kiyo Nakada Tsune Nakagawa
H. Henry Nakamura
Miyeko & Janice Nakao
John & Elizabeth Nason
Marion Nishimura
Catherine Nobe
Lafayette & Mayme Noda
Takako A. Nomiya
Joanne & Ben Obata
Shinko S. Obata
Lucy A. Oda
Rose & Tom Okabe
Betty E. Okamoto
Kiyo H. Okamoto
May & William Okamoto
Ruby S. Okubo
Akira & Chiyoko Omachi
Bob & Hiroko Omata
Ted K. Ono
Molly & Yoji Ozaki
Edward A. & Rosa Pool
Chieko & Fusako Sakai
Hisaji Q. Sakai
Mary Sakai
Shizu B& O. Sakata
Lawrence & Mitzi Scheltman
Kane & Rose Senda
Mary Ellen Shamory
Kiku Shimazaki
Lois Shimazaki & Anne S. Ziliak
Tom Shimazaki Trust
Aya Shimizu
Takiko N. Shinoda
Mildred & Thomas Shinsato
Susan & Nami V. Shio
Tomika H. Sollen
Bill & Maria Stevenson
Henry Sugeno
Marion & Frank Suzuki
Hisako Takami
John M. & Miyuki Takeuchi
Donna C. Tamaki
June & Kiyoshi Tamanaha
Eru Tanabe
Kenji & Louise Tani
Toshi Tanouye
Sadako Tengan
Lily & Thomas Teraji
C. Dorothy Togasaki
Chiye Tomihiro
Aiko & George Tomita
Kenji & Mary Tomita
Asako Tsukagawa
Terry & Sam Uyehara
Eugene & Martha Uyeki
Frances A., Tad H. & Fran Wada
Yasuko & Yukio Wada
Shigeo & Dorothy Wakamatsu
Betty & George Wakiji
Hatayo Wallen
Irene B. Williams
Sachiko Yamada
Yasuo Yamada
Midori Yamamoto
Martha & Kim Yamasaki
Mary & Yukio Yamasaki
Shig & June Yamashita
George & Bess Yasukochi
Kiyo Yoshimura
Carol & William Yoshino
Nobuo Yutani

Nobu Kumekawa Hibino Scholarship
(established by the family and friends of Nobu Kumekawa Hibino)

Nobu Kumekawa Hibino (1921-1998) was the heart and soul of the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund. In 1943, Nobu was one semester away f rom graduating from Berkeley when her family was interned at Topaz, Utah. With the help of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council, she was able to leave Topaz and complete her last semester at Boston University. In 1980, she became one of the founders of the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund. Nobu and a small group of New England Nisei felt it was time to "extend a helping hand" to others as a way of paying tribute to those who had done the same for her and her generation during those dark days of World War II. In addition to being the driving force of the NSRC Fund for eighteen years, Nobu dedicated her life to her family, community service, and involvement in the civil rights movement, housing, politics, education, and environmental issues. She started the first Head Start program in the state of Connecticut, and followed that accomplishment by becoming the first minority and first woman to serve on the board of a bank in that state. True to form, Nobu tackled everything with intelligence, wit, curiosity, and gusto.

The Koh, Mitsu, and Dr. Kotaro Murai Scholarship
(established by the Murai family)

Koh and Mitsu Murai were the Issei parents of Dr. Kotaro Murai. When the war came, they were living in San Francisco and Kotaro was attending Berkeley. Because Koh was a newspaper owner and publisher, he was classified as a dangerous enemy alien, and sent to several detention centers ? from Montana to Santa Fe to Louisiana ? before ending up at the Rohwer, Arkansas internment camp. Kotaro and his mother were sent to Tanforan, but as one of the early students helped by the Student Relocation Council, Kotaro was released to continue his education at the University of Nebraska. He obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees there. Kotaro was able to arrange for a job for his mother at the Franciscan Sister Hospital in Lincoln. When Koh left Rohwer at war's end, they settled in Denver, and Mistu continued her nursing career. Kotaro went on to receive his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota, and began working at Pfizer in 1949. He spent his career there and retired in 1988 as Senior Research Investigator in the Analytical Chemistry Department. He was part of the research group at Pfizer that developed the Terramycin and Tetracycline antibiotics, as well as several of the psychotropic drugs. In all their letters from camp, Kotaro's parents kept repeating the theme: "study hard while you are young and always behave like a gentleman."

The Lafayette and Mayme Noda Scholarship
(established by Walter N. Frank)
(Tribute by Kesaya and David Noda)

Our parents, Lafayette and Mayme Noda, were among the small group that originally founded the NSRC Fund. Born in California, in an intentional agricultural settlement of Japanese immigrants known as the Yamato Colony, they were imprisoned in Amache, Colorado and eventually settled in rural New Hampshire. Committed Quakers for more than fifty years, our parents are two people who - above all else - seek to live their faith, in matters large and small. They laugh, work, and have fun, but they never stop trying to make this world a better place. As a biochemist at Dartmouth Medical School, Lafayette successfully isolated and studied the enzymes that are now used to diagnose heart attacks and other diseases. Mayme is a gifted educator and musician who taught in several local schools and now performs with a medieval consort. Long-time political activists, our parents are "retired," but work hard on their pick-your-own blueberry and Christmas tree farm. They are committed supporters of the NSRC Fund because, like so many who are involved, they want to help others - as they were once helped. This is a responsibility they never question. It is also their deep pleasure.

Gladys Ishida Stone Scholarship
(established by Gladys Ishida Stone)
(Tribute by Mead Stone)

[Gladys Ishida Stone, a longtime NSRC Fund supporter, was helped by the Student Relocation Council to attend Washington University in St. Louis.]

Gladys came into my life thirty-three years ago in marriage to my father, Greg Stone. To me, in 1962, Gladys was a beautiful woman of depth and understanding, the chairperson of the Department of History and the Social Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. She possessed a political strength which eventually succeeded through endurance and the absolute correctness of her sense of both social and personal injustice and of her responsibility for others. She brought fun into our home, softened our humor and lived with a variety of nicknames, running from Grady to Griddles and back again -- as if we were endlessly trying to find a label, word, name, or symbol to express the woman she was. Dr. Gladys Stone, Professor Emeritus of Sociology: we came home to Gladys. She was a woman who endured many personal and social hardships without complaint, with dignity, discipline and love."

The Kay Yamashita Scholarship
(established by Yutaka Kobayashi)

[Kay Yamashita was interned first at Tanforan, then at Topaz, Utah. She was one of the first Nisei to join the staff of the Student Relocation Council, she and played a key role in it. After the war Kay settled in Chicago, working with the World Student Service Fund and as registrar at the University of Illinois. The following is an excerpt written by Yutaka Kobayashi in remembrance of Kay.]

I remember Kay as a friend, as a mother confessor, as a cheerleader and as a mover. I was only a kid of eighteen in Tanforan when she told me that I could go to college in New York when I did not have a dime in pocket. I was to leave in September of 1942, but I could not get clearance from the armed services. My dilemma continued until January of 1943 when Kay managed to get an emergency clearance for me to go to Alfred University in New York. She escorted me out of camp amid all the dust and cold and ushered me into an unknown world. I think about how Kay quietly and tirelessly went about planting the seeds which were to change the status of the Nisei generation in our society forever. This thin slip of a woman who had the vision, the conviction and the hopes of our success. This woman who had the faith that the Nisei would overcome the adversities thrust upon us by the circumstances of war. She was the one who gave us hope, calmed our fears, and showed us the way. In my history book, Kay Yamashita is the patron saint of the Nisei collegians of World War II. She is truly a legend in our time.