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The Club participates in standardized application and interview procedures at both Plainfield High School and at North Plainfield High School. Application forms are available at each school’s counseling offices.

Rotary Scholarships : The Club selects recipient(s) and makes the award(s) to students at Plainfield High School and at North Plainfield High School. The amount varies, but is normally between $2,000 and $3,000 for each high school for the past several years.

· The F.S. Mathewson Scholarship is given in memory of Matty Mathewson, a long-time member of the Club who died in 1993. Matty was well-known throughout New Jersey as a man who lived the Rotary ideal of “Service Above Self”. Candidates for this award must demonstrate a mix of academic achievement; financial need; community service; school service. Active participation as an Interact Club member is a plus.

Plainfield Foundation Scholarships : The Club interviews candidates and recommends awards to the Plainfield Foundation’s trust officer at PNC Bank. Amounts vary, depending on prior year’s performance of the listed funds.

NPHS only :

· The Leo Albert Friese Scholarship Fund was established In 1993, dictated by the will of Catherine N. Friese, a resident of North Plainfield, to give financial aid to students of high scholastic standing who have graduated or are about to graduate from NPHS (or such other public secondary school which serves the residents of No. Plfd.), for the purpose of permitting such students to undertake a scientific course of study at a college or university. Candidates demonstrate academic achievement, participation in school activities.

PHS only :

· The PHS Alumni Scholarship Fund was established in 1986 when the PHS Alumni Association, prior to disbanding, was forced to find another means of carrying out the selection of scholarship recipients. The Plainfield Foundation was selected for this purpose and thereby established the PHS Alumni Scholarship Fund. Candidates demonstrate academic achievement, participation in school activities.

· The J. Wilbur Tovell Fund was established in 1989, dictated by the will of J. Wilbur Tovell, a native of Plainfield and a graduate of PHS. Awards are limited to PHS male students only. Candidates demonstrate academic achievement, participation in school activities.

Adele DeLeeuw Scholarship

The Adele DeLeeuw Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors from high schools in Plainfield, North Plainfield, South Plainfield, Edison, Fanwood, Scotch Plains, Watchung, and Warren. The graduates must pursue a course of study in art, poetry, writing, journalism, or engineering. The total amount available varies, depending on fund performance. Scholarships are awarded for not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000 per recipient. Click here to download an application.

Adele DeLeeuw was a well-known author of books for children of all ages, a prominent Plainfield resident for almost her entire life. She was a patron of the arts and literature, and took a special interest in young people.

Adele lived in Plainfield with her parents and her sister, Cateau, who was an artist. Her father was a consulting engineer with an office in New York City.

After their father and then their mother passed away, Adele and Cateau continued to reside in Plainfield. They were members and proud supporters of many literary and arts organizations in the area.

Adele was also a champion for her City of Plainfield. An article in the Courier News from 1979 said that Adele “relishes giving the Queen City, her home since 1914, an oral or written boost.”

She had the opportunity to give that support in her freelance writings for the Courier News over an eight year period. Her opinion pieces were well-received, and were eagerly anticipated by many readers.

Adele died on June 13, 1988. She was pre-deceased by her sister, Cateau. With no immediate survivors, Adele set aside a portion of her estate for a scholarship program to be administered by the Plainfield Foundation.

A few years after her death, the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield volunteered to manage the selection of scholarship recipients and the presentation of their awards. The Club works with four other Rotary clubs in the area to interview and select recipients each year.

An application is available for download here. Deadline for submittal, mailing address and other pertinent details are included in the application.