the ruth i cleveland scholarship fund

The Ruth I. Cleveland Scholarship Fund memorializes the late Ruth Cleveland, a long-time resident of Andover, who served as president of the Andover Garden Club from 1954 to 1956. The memorial scholarship is given annually in recognition of Cleveland's efforts to enrich the lives of garden-club members in the pursuit of the arts and sciences.

The Ruth I. Cleveland Scholarship Fund was initially funded more than 35 years ago by her two children: Ann C. Lange, an internationally known floral arranger, artist, and lifelong resident of Andover—who herself served as president of the Andover Garden Club from 1985-1987—and the late Byron R. Cleveland, Jr. It grows yearly through donations from the Lange family and the Andover Garden Club.

Applicants for the scholarship must be graduate or undergraduate students pursuing the study of the arts and/or sciences.

"We wanted the scholarship to reflect Mother's broader interests, so, rather than limiting it to horticulture, landscape design, or floriculture, we opened it up to any student interested in studying the arts or sciences," said Lange. "Mother taught English and French in the Lawrence school system for many years She was also a skilled flower arranger and gardener who loved all the arts, especially painting and sculpture."

The Ruth I. Cleveland Scholarship Fund is administered by the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. (GCFM), the parent organization of the Andover Garden Club.