Paul & Marion Walz Memorial Scholarship

Amount Awarded Annually: $300 (may vary)

Scholarship Information:

The Paul & Marion Walz Memorial Scholarship was established with the memorial contributions by family and friends in 2005. The scholarship was created to honor Paul’s memory and to carry on his legacy of the importance of education.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a Bismarck High School graduate who understands the value of education and has a sincere interest to learn. The student must have received good grades in high school and have attributes similar to Paul’s. Paul lived his entire life – giving of himself, respectful of others, true to his beliefs, good in his word, and never one to draw attention to himself. Paul was a kind, honest, down-to-earth family man who believed in working hard.

Paul graduated from Bismarck High School in 1952. He was active in sports and excelled academically at BHS. He served in the US Navy based in Quanset Point, Rhode Island. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he attended Johnson and Wales University where he earned his accounting degree and was class valedictorian. Paul and Marion moved back to Bismarck, ND in 1960 and all four of the Walz children (Paulamarie, Paticia, Barbara, and David) graduated from BHS.

Paul was a staunch supporter of education. He encouraged his kids to attend college and pursue their dreams. In addition, he routinely talked to and “pressured” friends of the family and any kids on the importance of attending college. At one point in his life, he opened a recreation center for kids to have somewhere to go (The Mini-Rec). He became a surrogate father and supporter to some of the young patrons, and convinced many of them of the importance of graduating from high school and going to college.

An advisory committee will be formed to make recommendations for the annual award. The advisory committee will consist of the principal and staff of Bismarck High School and one of Paul’s four children. Each year, contact will be made with Barbara Walz to see if one of Paul’s children is available to serve on the committee. To be eligible, students must meet the following selection criteria:

1. The student must be graduating from 12th grade at Bismarck High School with the intention to go on to college.
2. Be nominated by a letter from a teacher or counselor.
3. The student must have a grade point average above a 2.5.
4. The student must write a short paper on the importance of education to him/her and what they plan to do.
5. The staff must confirm that the student has worked hard to get the noted grades.
6. The staff must confirm that the student has personal attributes similar to Paul’s as detailed above.