Jerome O. Berg Scholarship

Background:

Jerome “Jerry” Oscar Berg was born May 19, 1923, on a large dairy farm where the Mill’s Fleet Farm store in Appleton is now located. Farm life helped Jerry develop a very strong work ethic and resourcefulness for solving problems. As one of 18 children, Jerry earned the privilege of finishing high school for excelling academically, despite morning and evening farm chores. Jerry’s parents required him to keep his grades up to play on the Appleton High School football team. In shop class, Jerry tackled difficult projects that required math and design skills equal to a seasoned craftsman. He was skilled in woodworking and passionate for perfection, and these followed him in his career. After high school, Jerry enlisted in the Navy, where he enrolled in college courses as part of his training. He bravely served as a naval aviator during World War II and was assigned to the East Coast for reconnaissance. Jerry met his future wife, Leone (DeGroot), from Little Chute, during a leave from the service after breaking his neck. They were married April 19, 1947. After his days as a Navy pilot and fall chores on the farm were completed, Jerry hitchhiked to Detroit, where he started his career making patterns in a small tool shop. He converted a designer’s drawings into parts made from wood, and then used castings to transfer that 3D shape to whatever tool & die manufacturing would be used for volume production. This required great precision, math compensation for subsequent processes, and communication with designers to ensure that the final parts would function as required. Jerry’s attention to detail and work ethic caught the attention of his superiors, resulting in multiple promotions over the years at General Motors and Ford Motor Company, to “Resident Engineer.” Despite not finishing college to earn a degree in engineering, he was one of few engineers with the responsibility to ensure that high-quality cars were being manufactured. He was instrumental in submitting concepts to corporate headquarters for design & quality improvements. Jerry was equally passionate about travel with his wife and family in their Airstream Travel Trailer and served as the president of the Airstream Club in Minnesota. Jerry also enjoyed fishing, watching golf and football on TV and attending Packers vs. Lions games on Thanksgiving Day. With financial resources from Jerry’s successful career, and a desire to help fund the opportunity that he never had, Leone H. Berg established this scholarship for engineering-bound students from Appleton Area School District. Leone and the Berg family are proud to honor Jerry’s achievements in engineering and his Appleton High School heritage by presenting this annual scholarship for students exemplifying the character traits that Jerry shared and valued.

Eligibility: (taken into consideration to determine recipients)

• Graduating seniors from Appleton East, North and West High Schools • Planning to pursue a major in engineering as a full-time student, with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA • Exemplify character traits that Jerome exhibited • Financial need will be considered

Award Amount:

One $1,250 per year scholarship award, renewable for up to four years (total $5,000), for tuition expenses, payable annually for the first semester of college.

Selection:

Recipients will be recommended each spring by members of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region Scholarship Selection Committee.

Collecting the Award & Payment Procedure:

Recipients must fill out and submit Scholarship Acceptance Form and Scholarship Verification Form through the Scholarship Portal (https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cffvrscholar). Recipients are required to provide supporting documents as instructed in the Scholarship Verification Form, such as class registration/list with credits listed, proof of major, grade transcript, etc. After approval of online Scholarship Verification Form, the scholarship check will be paid directly to the school the recipient will be attending. The Community Foundation communicates with students via email; it is the student’s responsibility to keep their Scholarship Portal account updated with their current email address.

Loss of Eligibility:

Failure to maintain full-time student status with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA with an engineering major.

Further Information:

• Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region o Website www.cffoxvalley.org/scholarships/ / Email scholarships@cffoxvalley.org / Phone 920.702.7629