Montana: home of the Frank Hervey Cook Scholarship
Few Montanans have ever heard of Frank Hervey Cook, a Montana resident from the Townsend area who spent his life running cows and ranching, or the scholarship named for him.
But for 73 individuals, they know his story intimately. Frank Hervey Cook, who was murdered at his residence in 1970, left the majority of his estate as per his hand written will to a trust for Montana students who might benefit from attending St. Paul’s School, a New England boarding school that seeks talented students from across the country and around the world.
In addition to tuition for St. Paul’s School, the scholarship awards $15,000 towards each year of the Scholar’s college education. Since its founding, more than 73 students have attended St. Paul’s School from Montana as Cook Scholars.
From Baker to Havre, Red Lodge to Ronan, Billings to Busby, students from across the state have benefited from this scholarship.
Finley Goss, a student from Washington Middle School in Missoula, was the 2018 Cook Scholar, in recognition of his academic promise and leadership potential. With a 4.0 GPA and a strong leadership background based on kindness and respect, Goss began St. Paul’s this fall as a freshman.
“One of the reasons I wanted to attend St. Paul’s is to be known for what’s inside me, as there’s so much more to me,” Goss says. “At St. Paul’s, I would have more resources available to me to increase my knowledge, learn more, and also be exposed to diverse people from many places.”
Goss’ scholarship requires him to complete a minimum of 80 hours of community service that benefits Montana, including a summer of service by the end his sophomore year of college.
Eric Jacobson grew up in Great Falls, the son of a schoolteacher and an insurance agent, attended East Junior High School with a dream of owning a gas station on the corner. Receiving the Cook Scholarship in 8th grade, Eric graduated St. Paul’s School in 1983 and went on to Stanford University.
In reflecting back on the opportunity, Eric said, “Aside from my experience growing up in Montana with awesome parents, St. Paul’s School is the most significant experience of my life. It changed the entire trajectory of who I am and what I have become.”
Although he never did own that corner gas station, he instead started and owned his own private equity firm, investing in numerous businesses. He is currently a founding partner in Gratitude Railroad, an impact investing firm based in Park City, Utah. “Our vision is to refocus the intention of capitalism on being a force for the greater good. It is an alternative investment platform, committed to solving environmental and social problems through the profitable deployment of financial, intellectual, and human capital.”
Gabby Spurzem, originally from Missoula, recently graduated from St. Paul’s and is now at Montana State University studying biochemistry and Hispanic studies with a goal of going to medical school. “St Paul’s provided me with an incredible opportunity to grow academically. It challenged me in ways that I have never experienced before and it taught me balance.”
Founded in 1856 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, St. Paul’s School is a co-educational college preparatory high school in Concord, N.H. The 2,000-acre grounds are home to approximately 530 young women and men from 38 states and 20 countries. All students and the nearly 100 full-time faculty members live on the grounds. The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Frank Hervey Cook Scholarship has become a national model for regional scholarships and its success has brought other preparatory schools to recruit in Montana. Those interested in learning more about educational opportunity at St. Paul’s School and the Cook Scholarship should visit www.http://apply.cookscholarship.org. To learn about information sessions happening around the state the week after Thanksgiving, please join Facebook https://www.facebook.com/spsmontana/. To learn more about St. Paul’s School, please visit their website, www.sps.edu.
— Jael Kampfe
Bar K Management