Promising Scholars Fund

One generation mentors the next, helping high achieving and community-driven Black students from area high schools succeed in education and life.

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Three men in suits talk and smile together in a brightly lit room with green and white walls. One man appears to be greeting or congratulating another with a hand on his back. — Promising Scholar Quian Callender at 2015 reception. Photographer: Tom Ficklin

The Promising Scholars Fund supports the Edward A. Bouchet Scholarship, which provides outstanding young Black students in the region with financial assistance along with mentorship from a community of successful Black professionals. The scholarship award was founded by the graduate fraternal organization Beta Tau Boulé, the New Haven chapter of Sigma Pi Phi, the oldest continuous Black Greek-letter fraternity in the country.

A painted portrait of a man with short, dark hair wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and tie, facing slightly to the right against a plain, light background. — Edward A. Bouchet

Honoring Excellence

The Beta Tau Boulé created the scholarship in 1987 to carry out a founding pillar of their fraternity: to enhance and elevate the under-served Black community from which many of them had come. They created the award in honor of Edward A. Bouchet, the New Haven native who went to Yale and became the first Black American to earn a Ph.D.

Sepia-toned portrait of a young woman with short, natural hair, wearing a decorative choker necklace and a light-colored, lacy top, gazing directly at the camera with a neutral expression. — Miss Anna Louise James, the first woman pharmacist in Connecticut. Photo of James as a teenager, ca. 1900-1905 – Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.

In 2022, The Fund established two additional scholarship awards in honor of Miss Anna Louise James, the first woman pharmacist in the state of Connecticut.

A History of Bouchet and the Scholarship

A man in a suit places a blue ribbon around the neck of a woman with short, twisted hair, who is wearing a black and white patterned top, in a room with large windows. — Scholars receive a medal at the annual awards ceremony.

Support and Mentorship

Scholarships average $6,000 per year for up to four years and are presented during a luncheon award ceremony. Award winners are welcomed into a community of successful Black lawyers, doctors, businessmen, academics and other professions who provide mentorship, guidance and support.

Award Criteria

High academic achievement
Demonstrated leadership within their school community
Active engagement and service to their community
Outstanding character
Commitment to excellence

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Scholarship winner James Brockington now co-owns the highly successful Tia Russell Dance Studio. In a conversation with his mentor, Carlton Highsmith, he tells the story of how his life changed after the night of the Bouchet award ceremony. Recorded on StoryCorp.

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Four men sit at a round outdoor table decorated with flowers and candles, enjoying drinks on a sunny day. Other people are seated at tables in the background on a grassy area with trees. — 2021 Promising Scholars Golf Classic. Photographer: Coral Ortiz

Continuing the Legacy

The Beta Tau Boulé Promising Scholars Golf Classic is the annual fundraising event for the scholarship. For more information, contact Erik Johnson.

Read about the 2021 Golf Classic

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