The Bernard W. Detlefsen Masters Excellence Scholarship (SD6460)

The Bernard W. Detlefsen Masters Excellence Scholarship honors Mr. Bernard “Bernie” Detlefsen for his service to our country and his interest in places and maps. One scholarship is awarded each spring pending available funding and applied to the following fall.

When Bernard “Bernie” Detlefsen passed away at the age of 89, he named the Department of Geography in his will. Why geography? His interest in places and maps goes back to his elementary school years and was reinforced by his travels while in the military. A high school dropout, he worked as a freighter deck hand, refrigeration serviceman, grocery clerk, and machine tool operator, among other jobs, before joining the Army in 1941. He was involved with classified atomic bomb missions in 1946 and eventually served 20 years with the Corp of Engineers.

After retiring from the Army, he returned to Texas and enrolled at Southwest Texas State University, graduating in 1964 with a degree in social science education. He completed a master’s degree in education in 1968. Bernard then taught for the Texas Department of Corrections until his retirement in 1992.

Eligibility Criteria:

• have completed nine credit hours of graduate work with a GPA of 3.59 or higher
• have a record of professional activity such as professional presentations and student organization participation