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William Firth Scholarship

Current Status

On September 26, 1901, Mr. William Firth, in appreciation of the encouragement given him as an expression of thanks for the many kindnesses recieved from the members of the Association, gave a fund to be used to establish a scholarship at the New Bedford Textile School, New Bedford, Massachusetts. The scholarship to be used the benefit of a son of a member or late active member of the Association.

New Bedford Textile School (1899-1943), changed name to New Bedford Textile Institute (1946-1957), and to New Bedford Institute of Textiles and Technology (1957-1964). Later merged with Bradford Durfee Textile School to become Southeastern Massachuetts Technological Institute (1962-1967), later Southeastern Massachusetts University (1968-1990), and University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth (1991-Present)

The William Firth Scholarship is UMass - Dartmouth needs-based annual award.

• UMass Dartmouth Report on William Firth Scholarship as of March 2011.
• UMass Dartmouth Report on William Firth Scholarship as of February 2010.
• UMass Dartmouth Report on William Firth Scholarship as of June 30, 2008.

• NTA Report on Firth Scholarship Mid-1950s.

Background

THE SECRETARY’S REPORT

THE ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP.

At the Pan-American meeting held at Niagara Falls, Sept. 26, 1901, the offer of WILLIAM FIRTH, Esq., now a resident of Baycliffe, Lymm, Cheshire, England, to establish a scholarship on behalf of the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association at a textile school was accepted with the thanks of the Association.* He subsequently selected the New Bedford Textile School and gave to the Association the sum of $3,000 as a fund for establishing that scholarship. This money has been turned over to the Treasurer of the New Bedford Textile School, and the following deed of trust executed, to provide for its care and application:

DEED OF TRUST FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP AT THE NEW BEDFORD TEXTILE SCHOOL. THIS INDENTURE by and between WILLIAM FIRTH of Boston, Massachusetts, the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, and the New Bedford Textile School, both corporations, organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Witnessed as follows, viz.; Whereas the said WILLIAM FIRTH desires through the agency of the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association to found and endow a scholarship in the New Bedford Textile School in such manner that sons of members, or deceased members of the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, may have the benefit of a technical education in textile methods of manufacture; and whereas the said New Bedford Textile School desires to accept said scholarship and to afford such education under the terms thereof: Now Therefore: I, the said WILLIAM FIRTH, do hereby pay over, transfer, and deliver to the said New Bedford Textile School through the agency of the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association the sum of three thousand dollars ($3,000), the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged by said New Bedford Textile School, to be held, managed, and controlled by said New Bedford Textile School as a Trust Fund, and strictly in trust for the following uses and purposes, and under the following terms and conditions, to wit: First: Said fund shall be held in the name of the" New Bedford Textile School, Trustee," and shall be known as the "WILLIAM FIRTH Scholarship," and shall be in the custody of the Treasurer for the time being of the New Bedford Textile School, and shall by him be held distinct and separate from the general property and assets of said corporation. Such fund shall be invested in such safe· and conservative securities as the Board of Directors for the time being of said New Bedford Textile School, or a committee thereof, shall determine, said Board of Directors to have the power to change said investments from time to time, and said Treasurer upon being duly authorized by vote of said Board of Directors, or a committee thereof, shall have the power to sell and transfer such securities, and in the name and behalf of said New Bedford Textile School, to sign and execute all necessary or proper instruments of transfer. Second: A report by the Treasurer of the condition of said fund shall accompany the Treasurer's annual report of the School. Third: The net income of said fund, after the payment of any necessary expenses of the management of said fund, but not including any compensation to said School, or any of its officers, for said management, shall be used and expended by the Treasurer under the direction of the Board of Directors, for defraying the expenses of a textile education at said School, including the tuition fees, and such necessary text books and supplies as said Board of Directors may determine, of a regular day scholar to be designated and selected as hereinafter provided. Fourth: So much of the income of said fund as shall not be used as aforesaid shall be accumulated and added to said fund as a surplus to be used whenever the regular income shall be insufficient for the purposes of this fund. Fifth: The beneficiaries of said scholarship shall be selected as follows, viz: Applicants for said scholarship shall be the sons of members for the time being of the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, or of deceased members, and shall be designated and nominated by the Board of Government of said New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, excepting that in default to any application from a son of a member or of a deceased member of the said New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association who is deemed by the Directors of the New Bedford Textile School as qualified to enter that institution, then the Board of Government of the said New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association may, at teller discretion, nominate some other person to be the beneficiary of this scholarship. Said applicants must comply with such reasonable regulations and conditions as said New Bedford Textile School may from time to time adopt in relation thereto. From said applicants one shall be selected by the Directors of the New Bedford Textile School as the beneficiary of said scholarship. Sixth: The New Bedford Textile School hereby accepts said fund and acknowledges the receipt thereof, and declares that it holds the' same in accordance with the trusts herein set forth. Seventh: The said New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association by its Board of Government hereby agrees to co-operate in furtherance of the undertakings contemplated by this indenture, and to make nominations according to the above provisions. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said WILLIAM FIRTH has hereunto set his hand and seal, and the said New Bedford Textile School, by its President and Treasurer, hereto duly authorized, has caused its corporate name to be signed and its corporate seal to be affixed, and the said New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, by its President and Secretary, duly authorized, has caused the same to be signed and its corporate seal affixed, this twentieth day of February, A. D., 1902. L. S. WILLIAM FIRTH. L. S. NEW ENGLAND COTTON MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION, By CHARLES H. FISH, President, C. J. H. WOODBURY, Sectary. L. S. NEW BEDFORD TEXTILE) SCHOOL. By ROBERT BURGESS, President. ISAAC B. TOMPKINS, JR., Treasurer.

Immediately after the execution of the foregoing deed of trust, the Board of Government issued the following information to the membership and the press:

The donation of William Firth, Esq., has established a scholarship at the New Bedford Textile School primarily for the benefit of the son of a member or of a deceased member of the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, furnishing to the recipient of such scholarship, tuition, books and supplies for the course. Candidates for that scholarship will apply by letter only, addressed to the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association, P. O. Box 3672, Boston, Mass. The candidates must be at least fourteen years of age and furnish certificates of good moral character, and those who have been students of other technical institutions, colleges or universities will be required to furnish certificates of honorable dismissal from such institutions. Those applicants conforming to the above conditions will be nominated by the Board of Government to the New Bedford Textile School, and the selection of the candidate for the scholarship will be made as the result of an examination to be held in the lecture hall of the School at New Bedford, Mass., on Friday, September 12, 1902 at 10 A. M., or such other date as the Managing Director of the School may notify the candidates. Every candidate, previous to the entrance examination, must file an application at the School for admission, agreeing to observe the rules and regulations of the School. The courses of instruction for which candidates will be eligible are as follows: No. 1, the general Cotton Manufacturing course, which is a three years' course; No. 2, the Yarn M ill Superintendents' course, which is a one year's course; No. 3, the Weaving Mill Superintendents' course, which is a one year's course; No. 4, the Designers' course, which is a two years' course.

Candidates applying for the general Cotton Manufacturing course, No. 1, will have the preference over other candidates, as this is the most comprehensive of any of the courses in the School and is intended to give the student a general knowledge of all the cotton manufacturing processes, and sufficiently specific and complete information to qualify him to hold a position as superintendent of a cotton spinning and weaving mill, or other responsible post.

Any information not provided for in this circular, or conditions of enrollment not previously referred to, will follow the conditions as specified in the official catalogue of the New Bedford Textile School, which may be obtained on application to the Managing Director, New Bedford Textile School, New Bedford, Mass.

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* Transactions, Volume 71, page 94.