John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund
The Blue Jackets players in partnership with the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation established the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund in 2008 to honor the life and legacy of the team’s late founder John H. McConnell. The fund was created to give fans of all ages the opportunity to honor Mr. Mac and his deep-rooted belief in the importance of giving back to the community. Each year, one local high school senior, who personifies his character and leadership, will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship
Mr. Mac was an honorable man who believed in the golden rule, ‘Treat others as you want to be treated.’ An enormously successful businessman, his accomplishments in that arena were surpassed only by his endeavors that improved the lives of others.
Mr. John H. McConnell was born in Pughtown, W.Va. The son of a steel worker, he grew up during the Great Depression, served aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II and afterwards used the GI bill to enter Michigan State University.
While working for Weirton Steel Corp., Mr. McConnell identified a niche in the industry for custom steel processing services. He used his 1952 Oldsmobile as collateral for a loan and, in 1955, launched Worthington Steel. It would become a global company with $3 billion in steel earnings and 8,000 employees in nearly 70 facilities.
In business, Mr. McConnell’s leadership style was based on the Golden Rule: “We treat our customers, employees, investors and suppliers as we would like to be treated,” It still drives the company’s culture today.
Through his humanitarian and community efforts, Mr. McConnell became widely recognized as one of Columbus’ most generous citizens. In 1997, Mr. McConnell led a group of investors to bring the National Hockey League to Columbus. The arrival of the team brought an influx of development to the arena district and community pride to Columbus.
Through his work ethic, business acumen, philanthropy, sense of community and genuine desire to do the right thing for his customers, employees and community, Mr. McConnell became a leader, not only in Columbus, but also throughout the steel industry and the business world. He also had a true passion for supporting the development of youth in our community.
View a video tribute to John H. McConnell
To Contribute to the John H. McConnell Scholarship fund:
Those contributing will be acknowledged as donors of the fund. The money raised will be used to award an annual scholarship(s) to Central Ohio high school students who personify the very character and leadership of the late John H. McConnell.
Those interested in making a contribution to the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund can mail contributions to:
Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation
John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund
L-3170
Columbus, OH 43260-3170
Checks made payable to: John H. McConnell Fund
or view the donation form
The Columbus Jackets Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization, Tax I.D. 31-1688700.
View list of founding donors.
To Apply for the John H. McConnell Scholarship
Unlike traditional scholarships that are based on academic performance, this fund is intended to reward local high school seniors who demonstrate hard work, perseverance, leadership and community involvement. Mr. McConnell’s legacy reflects a life guided by the above characteristics.
High school seniors who personify the very character and leadership of the late John H. McConnell are able complete and submit an application for consideration by March 1 of each season. The scholarship winners will be selected annually by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and announced in the spring at the end of each Blue Jackets season.
One $10,000 scholarship will be awarded annually.
View the John H. McConnell Scholarship Application
Scholarship Applications Due: March 1 (in office) by noon
Address to: Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation
200 W. Nationwide Blvd
Columbus, OH 43215
Drop off: business hours 9am-5pm (Monday-Friday)
Hard copy required - faxes and emails not accepted
How to get here:
- Enter through the Box office doors (on the corner of Nationwide and McConnell)
- Immediately to your right through the double doors will be a security desk
- Tell them that you are there to go to the offices on the Suite Level
- Security will direct you to the elevators. Take the elevators to your left up to the Suite Level
- There will be double glass doors through which there is a front desk
2009-2010 John H. McConnell Scholarship Winner
Rachel Beam
The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation is proud to announce that Rachel Beam from Morgan High School in McConnelsville, OH is the recipient of this year’s $10,000 John H. McConnell Scholarship.
I am so honored to be the recipient of the John H. McConnell Scholarship this year. I am truly inspired by the work of "Mr. Mac" during his lifetime. I plan to continue working hard to leave a legacy of community service in my own community. This scholarship allows me the opportunity to attend The Ohio State University this fall. I plan to major in nursing with a long-term goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I will also be continuing to develop my leadership and service skills as part of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars Program while at OSU.
Rachel Beam
Where We Are Now:
Harika Rayala - 2008-2009 Winner
Harika's update:
Hey Everyone,
My first year at Northwestern has been awesome so far. I’ve decided to major in biomedical engineering and economics with a minor in global health so it’s a lot of work, especially the engineering classes, but I’m getting used to it now. My grades have been good so far but the courses get harder each quarter so we’ll see. I’m on the national office staff of this organization called GlobeMed, which promotes global health equity at 19 chapters across the U.S by improving the healthcare access in rural communities across the world. We just held our annual Global Health Summit, which brought students from across the U.S. to attend workshops by experts in the field of global health. It was especially exciting since our keynote speaker was Dr. Paul Farmer, the founder of Partners in Health!! This summer, I'll be going to Mali on behalf of GlobeMed to work on the Mali Health Organizing Project to study HIV/AIDS treatment in a rural community there. Other than that, Chicago is only a train ride away so we’ve been going there pretty often. Evanston, which surrounds the campus, has some really great ethnic restaurants for times when I get tired of dining hall food. In summary, Northwestern has been everything I expected and more. Thanks again for all the financial support you have given me. It was a huge help to both my parents and me in allowing me to go to Northwestern.
Harika Rayala