The Gamma Pi Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity awarded five scholarships for this year's Paul A. McDaniel Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who reside in southeast Tennessee and have been accepted to accredited four-year colleges or universities. The awards are made on the basis of high character, superior academic achievement, leadership skills and a demonstrated willingness to use their talents for the betterment of society.
“We are extremely proud of this year’s winners,” said Wade Hinton, Social Action Committee chair of Gamma Pi Boulé and vice-president of Inclusion and Diversity at Unum Group. “They demonstrated high academic and leadership achievement as well as tremendous resilience in navigating both the pandemic and social unrest."
Charles Bass, president of Gamma Pi Boulé and CEO of CiB Enterprises added, "The Paul A. McDaniel Scholarship is a wonderful tribute to an amazing leader and a change agent in our community. This program is just one of many ways Gamma Pi is making a difference in Chattanooga."
This year's winners were as follows:
• Jordan Morris of the Chattanooga School for the Arts;
• Caleb Colvin of the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences;
• Jordan Culpepper of East Hamilton;
• Jeremiah Taylor of Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences; and
• Tariq Roundtree of the STEM School of Chattanooga.
Scholarships were awarded through the Gamma Pi Boulé Foundation with the support of donors. This year, key sponsors included Parkridge East Hospital, Truist Bank, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union, Chattanooga Allergy Clinic, Dr. Elaine Swafford and John P. Franklin Funeral Home
The Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (also known as the "Boulé"), is the first and oldest African-American Greek-lettered organization. The fraternity began in 1904 in Philadelphia, Pa. and has 108 Subordinate Boulés in the U.S. and the Bahamas. The local organization is known as the Gamma Pi chapter of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.
The program is named the Gamma Pi Paul A. McDaniel Boulé Scholarship Program. It is named in honor of Gamma Pi member Paul A. McDaniel, former pastor of Second Missionary Baptist Church and former Hamilton County Commissioner. Rev. McDaniel is a civic and community leader and one of the founders of Gamma Pi. He embodies all the qualities Gamma Pi hopes to encourage and instill in these young scholars, officials said. Since its inception, over $100,000 has been awarded.