As Memphis and the rest of the world prepare to celebrate the50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll this year, The University ofMemphis College of Communication and Fine Arts announced theestablishment of a $50,000 scholarship from broadcasting legend andU of M alumnus George Klein.
"As an alumnus, it has been one of my dreams to make ascholarship contribution to The University of Memphis. To be ableto accomplish this is one of the highlights of my career," Kleinsaid.
Klein, a longtime friend and former classmate of Elvis, beganhis career as a disc jockey at WHBQ in 1957.
Klein was host of the popular WHBQ television program "TalentShow" in the '60s and '70s. He is highly regarded in the Memphismusic community as someone who has showcased local artists on bothtelevision and radio.
The George Klein Christmas Charity Show and Auction ended its40-year run in December, after raising nearly $500,000 over thepast four decades. The charity show provided funding for thescholarship.
"George Klein is a legend in this area in the radio andtelevision broadcasting industries. He has been a wonderful andhighly-respected citizen in this community for many years," saidRobert McDowell, associate chair of communication and generalmanager of WUMR.
The scholarship will be given to a full- or part-timeundergraduate student majoring in broadcast communication. Thefirst scholarship will be awarded this spring for the fall 2004semester.
The selection committee will consider students' demonstratedachievement and interest or talent in broadcast communication, aswell as grade point average.
This scholarship joins several other awards for broadcastcommunication majors, including the Memphis Radio GroupScholarship, the Kathy Krieger Award and the John DeCleux MemorialScholarship.
Klein's interest is in helping students who may be working theirway through school, said Patty Bladon Lawrence, developmentdirector for the College of Communication and Fine Arts. As aresult, the award is not limited to full-time students.
"He is a sterling example of a loyal alumnus who is working tomake it possible for students to recognize their academic dreams,"Bladon Lawrence said.
