by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
There’s a minority of which Jacksonville is currently a member but that could soon change.
The Loeb Fellowship was established in 1970 by the late John L. Loeb, a Harvard University alumnus. Since then it has each year offered 10 annual post professional awards for independent study at Harvard. Through the Fellowship, participants have access to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Design, Graduate School of Education, Harvard Business School, Harvard College, Harvard Divinity school, Harvard Law School, the Kennedy School of Government and M.I.T.
“Jacksonville and Indianapolis are the only major cities which have never had a Loeb Fellow,” said James Stockard, curator of the fellowship, who was here Tuesday to meet potential candidates.
He said Loeb Fellows receive in addition to full access to the academic institutions, a $37,500 stipend, living accommodations and travel expenses. They take a year off for the program.
“Sometimes organizations don’t want to let them go,” said Stockard. “But I tell them I’ll send them back with more energy, more leadership skills and more contacts.”
Stockard’s visit to Jacksonville was facilitated by Dalton Agency Vice President Michael Munz, who knows one of this year’s Fellows, real estate developer Neal Morris.
“Neal and I met when I went on the (Chamber of Commerce) Leadership Trip to New Orleans. We became friends and when he told me about his Fellowship and that there had never been anyone from Jacksonville selected, I said ‘We need to change that’,” said Munz.
Ten Jacksonville professionals will apply for the program and will be evaluated in a pool of about 100 international candidates for the program, said Stockard. The selections will be made and the 2010 Loeb Fellows will begin their year at Harvard in September.
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