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BY MARTHA MARRAZZA

In print | Published September 8, 2005

Members of Swarthmore’s Genocide Intervention Fund are collaborating with donors John and Ann Montgomery, both of the class of 1977, to create and name an endowed scholarship for students who demonstrate leadership in human rights or genocide prevention.

Named for Raphael Lemkin, a human rights advocate who coined the term genocide, the Lemkin scholarship will specifically benefit Swarthmore students who are “upstanders,” genocide prevention activist and author Samantha Powers’s term for those who take action to combat genocide.

Montgomery’s gift from the Bridgeway Capital Management Company, a mutual fund group he founded which donates half of its after-taxes profits to charity, will combine with matching funds from Eugene Lang to finance the scholarship.

Montgomery’s interest in genocide prevention stems from his youth and was heightened during his time at Swarthmore. His current company mission statement includes four areas of charitable donation, including human rights and genocide causes.

“This [genocide prevention] is a really personal strong area of interest for me,” Montgomery said. “When Rwanda happened, I remember seeing news reports of people debating ‘Was it genocide? How many deaths constitute genocide?’ and I just said ‘Wait a minute.’ It seemed so contorted to be talking about or trying to qualify genocide this way. At that point I just knew I couldn’t stand by anymore.”

“I have about half a dozen life goals, and working with human rights and genocide is one of them,” Montgomery said. “I was really blown away when I found out about Swarthmore’s Genocide Intervention Fund. I made a gift to the fund itself first and then later, when I was interested in creating a scholarship, I thought GIF should come up with a name since they were so much closer to [genocide prevention].”

Since its creation last year, GIF has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars and has expanded to become a permanent organization with a headquarters in Washington, D.C. Four Swarthmore graduates head the organization, including President Mark Hanis ’05.

Hanis worked with the Montgomerys to develop criteria for future recipients.

“John was very supportive of GIF’s work, so he wanted us to come up with a name and description for the scholarship that he would help fund,” he said. “It is supposed to be similar to a Lang scholarship of translating knowledge into action, except Lemkin Scholars may gain access to and work with genocide prevention organizations like GIF and Human Rights Watch.”

Unlike most endowed scholarships, the Lemkin Scholarship commemorates an important historical figure rather than the names of the donors.

“Of the gifts to Swarthmore, the Lemkin Scholarship is one of the most interesting stories,” College Vice President Dan West said. “I was pleased when John [Montgomery] wanted to set up and go forward with an endowed scholarship, but I was even more pleased that he worked with kids and honored Lemkin, almost a forgotten figure in history.”

Joseph Lemkin, one of Raphael’s cousins, expressed his appreciation at Swarthmore’s newly created scholarship.

“It’s nice recognition. Our family was so immersed in genocide prevention. It makes us proud that his work is still being recognized,” he said.

Current members of Swarthmore Sudan, the campus chapter of GIF, are excited by the opportunities associated with the Lemkin Scholarship.

“I think the scholarship is an acknowledgement of the achievements of GIF and Swarthmore Sudan, and it’s an honor to leave this type of a legacy on campus,” Rita Kamani ’08, a member of Swarthmore Sudan, said.

“Former Swatties are seeing what we’re doing and they’re supporting that, which is amazing,” she added.

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