It is remarkable that Goodrich is 50 years old! It all started from a call to action by Durward Belmont “Woody” Varner, the first President of the University of Nebraska system, to address the extreme sense of urgency to meet the educational and financial needs of low-income Nebraskans. Dr. Hubert Locke, an urban studies specialist from Wayne State University in Detroit who served as a consultant on Varner’s 140-person Regents’ Commission on the University of the 70s, produced a comprehensive report that called for a novel and innovative program that would combine financial support with a substantively experimental academic program. The legislation needed to fund the program was authored and championed by Nebraska Senator Glenn Goodrich, and in 1972 the Goodrich Scholarship Program was born.  Varner, Locke and Goodrich worked hand-in-hand to create a program that was as much a social experiment as it was an academically groundbreaking achievement.  

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Five decades later, with over 3,500 student recipients, Goodrich persists, excelling in meeting the existent need of providing access to a high-quality education to Nebraskans with financial need. We are in a momentous space, where we can reflect Goodrich's impact on our communities, offering transformative opportunities to explore social growth and civic mindedness while developing and supporting Nebraska’s future leaders.  

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Thank you for joining us in celebrating 50 years of the Goodrich Scholarship Program!