Dr Mary Rose Gram
In an effort to honor the memory of his late sister, Dr. Mary Rose Gram '45, former Northwest Foundation Board Member, Bill Gram '52 of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., created this scholarship in her honor.
Bill, originally from Maryville, was the youngest of three children. His older sister, Mary Rose, graduated from Northwest and later earned her Ph.D. in nutritional research at the University of California-Berkeley. His older brother Bernard, also attended Northwest. When Mary Rose passed away following a sudden illness in 1975, it had a profound impact on Bill. So much so that he decided to honor his sister's memory.
Upon graduation from Northwest, Bill taught in Missouri and Iowa before attending the University of Missouri - Columbia where he earned a master's in history. Bill began teaching history in the Los Angeles Unified School District where he met his wife, Dorothy, in 1962. He taught history in the Los Angeles Community Colleges until 1969 when he left to attend the University of New Mexico where he earned his Ph.D. in Latin American history. When the couple returned to Los Angeles, Bill continued to teach at Harbor College, and Dorothy became a school psychologist. Bill retired from teaching in 1995.
Scholarships associated with Dr Mary Rose Gram