Frank Fischer Memorial Scholarship Supports Jamestown Education Students

A $1,000 scholarship carrying Frank Fischer’s name will help Jamestown seniors who want to become teachers, and it was built around the same qualities Fischer spent a lifetime encouraging: character, service and commitment to education.

The Frank Fischer Memorial Education Scholarship was established by Fischer’s family for a Jamestown High School or Jamestown-BJA senior, formerly Jamestown North, who plans to pursue higher education certification or a degree in education. The family set the award up for a student who shows sound character, dedication to education and a desire to become a productive, upstanding citizen, which means applicants will need to stand out for more than grades alone.

Fischer’s influence on Jamestown schools stretched across decades. He served as superintendent of schools in Jamestown from 1969 to 1993, after earlier working as a teacher, coach and principal at Killdeer High School, superintendent in Hebron, State Director of Manpower and Training, and Assistant State Director of Vocational Education. Jamestown High School Hall of Fame materials say he worked to rebuild and improve the school system’s athletic programs, a detail that helps explain why his name still carries weight with alumni and school supporters.

Marvel Fischer presented Jamestown Dollars for Scholars with a $1,000 check to launch the scholarship, and board member Elaine Hegland accepted the funds on behalf of the chapter. Fischer died Dec. 7, 2024, at age 94, and the memorial award gives his family a lasting way to connect his name to students heading into education careers. One family account said Fischer was “loyal to the school district and community as a whole.”

Jamestown Dollars for Scholars, which is part of the Scholarship America network and tied to the Jamestown Public School Foundation, was formed to preserve and enhance educational opportunities in the district. The chapter’s growth shows how much local support has widened in recent years: in 2023 it awarded 45 scholarships totaling $45,600, in 2024 it awarded 51 scholarships totaling $53,500, and in May 2025 it reached 56 graduating seniors with $58,500 in awards, including seven new scholarships.

For Jamestown seniors, the message is clear. The strongest applicants will be those headed into education who can pair academic commitment with the kind of service-minded character Fischer was remembered for. Local scholarship profiles for Jamestown High School and BJA seniors run from Dec. 1 to March 1, and students must create a Dollars for Scholars profile to be matched with available awards.