Dr. Edward P. Dunne Scholarship Fund, Inc. Welcomes You

Dr. Edward P. Dunne (1888-1964) was a general practitioner in the Farmington Valley. Born in the Collinsville section of Canton, Dr. Dunne began his longtime medical practice with an office and laboratory in the old Masonic building in the center of Unionville. He did heroic duty during the national flu epidemics during the winter of 1918 and the spring of 1919. Dr. Dunne was a familiar person in town with his black bag and often accompanied by Teresa Rourke (1886-1971). Teresa was a Registered Nurse, a graduate of the Washington D.C. College of Nursing and the first Director of the Farmington Visiting Nurse Association. 

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Many in the Farmington Valley remember the service of Dr. Dunne during the catastrophic flood of August 19, 1955, when 11 people in the Unionville area drowned, 92 families were left homeless, and many more were left in temporary housing until their homes could be repaired. For his many public deeds beyond his private practice, Dr. Dunne was one of the first in the Town of Farmington to be a recipient of the Exchange Club of Farmington's "Golden Book of Deeds". His wife, Antoinette Dunne, was also an active public servant, serving many years as Representative from the Town of Farmington in the General Assembly, the Farmington Board of Education, and chairman of the Zoning Board. 

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The Scholarship Fund was started in 1965 by the Farmington Valley Women's Club and a group of personal friends of the late Dr. Dunne to carry on his legacy. The board consists of descendants of Dr. Dunne and longtime Unionville/Farmington residents who volunteer their time to participate in quarterly meetings and our annual Scholarship Fundraising Dinner event each September. Scholarships are offered annually to Farmington Valley (Unionville, Farmington, Collinsville, Avon, and Burlington) residents (and descendants of Dr. Dunne) aspiring to work in the broad field of medical science who are about to enter their studies or are already in the process of working toward their degree. This includes nursing, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, dentistry, medicine, radiological studies, and others. Applications are due by May 1st each year. Scholarship amounts vary based on financial need, cost of education, academic achievement (grades and extracurricular), and how many applications are received. The Scholarship Fund awarded $9,000.00 in June 2024 to 10 amazing applicants. We welcome applicants to reapply each year and require a transcript to show progress in their field of study. Applications are available on this website to download. Applications are also available via the high school guidance offices of the towns eligible to apply.   

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SCHOLARSHIP FUND OFFICERS 

President - Chris Foryan

Vice President - Stephen Ruzbasan (descendant)

Secretary - Dorothy Lindau (descendant)

Treasurer - Valerie Lamarre (descendant)

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DONATIONS to the SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Due to the rapidly increasing costs of medical education, donations to

the Dr. Edward P. Dunne Scholarship Fund are always welcome and greatly appreciated.

Checks can be mailed to the address on the bottom left of this page. 

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