Erskine College
Due West, South Carolina
It was 1895. The place was a hospital in Rome, Georgia.
A minister of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church, The Reverend J. P. Knox of Hickory Grove,
South Carolina, prayed as his wife, Lutie Brice, lay
on the operating table. On that day, Mr. Knox made
a commitment that he would do some special work for
God. As soon as Mrs. Knox's health permitted, they
set about carrying out the plan to provide a home
for and minister to fatherless and motherless children.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1897, an orphanage
was opened at Hickory Grove, South Carolina. This
work was handicapped from the beginning by having
only two and a half acres of land. Those in charge
thought it would be good to have farmland, the cultivation
of which would give employment to the boys and girls
as well as provide funds for the home.
The Dunlap family heard of the need and responded,
planning to donate more than 300 acres of land to
the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church. Fifty years earlier, the Dunlap family had
set sail for America from Belfast. The father died
on the journey and was buried at sea. The surviving
family members, including children William and Elizabeth,
settled in Tipton County, Tennessee.
William H. Dunlap died on January 26, 1903, and shortly
after his death his daughter, Annie Belle Dunlap McDaniel,
and her husband, Robert Warden McDaniel, both members
of the Salem Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church,
made a deed of 245 acres to the General Synod "...for
the purpose of carrying out the cherished plan and
design of the fatherless and helpless children...for
the maintenance, support, and education of orphans
who are without means of support and education..".
Mrs. Elizabeth Dunlap Spain added to the bequest 91
acres of adjoining property.
On January 11, 1905, the children from the orphanage
in Hickory Grove moved to the William H. Dunlap Orphanage.
The Dunlap Home continued to minister to orphans and
needy children until it closed on June 30, 1978.
The ministry to those in need continues! The William
H. Dunlap Scholarships are a part of the ministry.
It is the prayerful hope of the organization that
if you are a recipient, you too will make a commitment
"to do special work for God" and that as opportunity
arises in the future, you will allow your resources
to assist others in their life pilgrimage.
Board of Trustees
William H. Dunlap Orphanage, Inc.
Erskine College General Information
In order to maintain the ministry to young men and
women, which the William H. Dunlap Orphanage carried
out from 1905 - 1978, an undergraduate scholarship
program has been established.
Who is eligible?
Students who have been deprived of one or both parents,
either by death, desertion, or other conditions which
prevents such students from having normal parental care.
How do I apply?
Each applicant must complete an admission application
to Erskine College, the William H. Dunlap Scholarship
application, and the
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). These forms may be secured
by contacting the addresses below.
What is the amount of the scholarship?
The annual William H. Dunlap Scholarship shall be in
the amount of up to $4,000 each as determined by the
Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee. Renewal of
the Dunlap Scholarship in succeeding years requires
satisfactory academic progress toward a degree and the
maintaining of the financial qualifications originally
associated with the award.
When do I apply
Applicants must submit the Dunlap Scholarship application,
the application for admission to Erskine, and the
Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April
1. Recipients will be selected by the Scholarship and
Financial Aid Committee and will be notified in writing.
