Rotary: History Moment
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars
June 24, 2025
In giving my report last week of the Thank You the Club received from 95 year old past-President Russ Reister, I was reminded of Rotary International’s 66 year-old Ambassadorial Scholarship Program that sponsored students for undergraduate and graduate studies abroad, with the scholars serving as goodwill ambassadors.
Russ and his wife Dottie coordinated our Club’s Ambassadorial Scholarship Program for over 25 years. They passed on the task to another Past-President, Dan Balbach, who continued the Ambassadorial Scholar coordination with his wife Barbara until Rotary International revised the Ambassadorial Scholarship program in 2013. At that time, Rotary International converted the Ambassadorial Scholarship program to Global Grant Scholarship awards often related to the Global Grant Programs initiated at that time.
Rotary International’s Ambassadorial Scholar program was started in 1947.
Our Rotary Club served as a critical link between Rotary International, our Rotary District, and the University of Michigan. The U of Michigan, like today, was a sought-after site for undergraduate and graduate study by international students. The students applied to Rotary International for the Scholarships and the selection process was managed by Rotary International. Our Club’s close relationship with the University of Michigan, as well as our physical location on campus led to a system where Rotary International selected the scholars, who in turn were accepted by the University and our Club then assumed a coordinating role with the selected students. Our Club records now being prepared for addition to our Archives at the Bentley Library show that there were many years when several Rotary Scholars was accepted for the year’s study. A review of records from 1985-1998 list 93 Ambassadorial Scholars for those 13 years. At that time, there was some student housing actually attached to the Michigan Union and it was often used for international scholar’s housing. Rotarians, Russ Reister, who was the UM’s Director of Plant Operations and, Robert Hughes, the Director of Housing, were both very active Rotarians and helped coordinate Ambassadorial Scholars’ lives in Ann Arbor. Russ or Dan Balbach would normally even greet arriving Scholars at the airport upon arrival. Other Clubs in our Rotary District were also involved by inviting Scholars to their meetings, and to District Rotary events. Our Club would host scholars occasionally at some of our weekly meetings and we frequently scheduled a Scholar for a report on their studies and future plans. Some of the Ambassadorial Scholars were accompanied by their spouse and they would be included in visits to our club and other Rotary Clubs in our District.
I am aware that the Balbach’s still maintain contact with a Tasmanian Ambassadorial Scholar’s wife who noted Ann Arbor’s friendly Squirrels as one of their prime memories from their year in Ann Arbor.
Now a quick Move from the Past ….into the Present: The Global Grant Scholarship program was built upon the Ambassadorial Scholarship’s mission of promoting international understanding and goodwill, but it focuses specifically on supporting graduate-level studies and sustainable, measurable, and needs-based community service projects aligned with Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus. : Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Community Economic Development, and Environment.
Applicants now apply through a local Rotary Club. I am not aware of any students applying for a Global Grant Scholarship via our Club.
