Vilas Scholar Program

Keefe Gorman is the managing director for Merrill Lynch in Ithaca, New York. Before he started his nearly 30-year career that launched him to his management position at Merrill Lynch, Keefe Gorman was a Vilas Scholar at St Lawrence University, where he received a bachelor of arts in economics.

The Bodman Foundation of New York City founded the Vilas Scholarship in 1976 in honor of an accomplished Wall Street financier named Homer A. Vilas who graduated from St. Lawrence in 1913. Not only was Mr. Vilas a successful businessman, he was also a philanthropist to many charities, including his St. Lawrence University.

The scholarship is for $88,000 for four years of study, and it goes to students who wish to pursue a liberal arts degree as a preparation for a business career. However, they are not required to declare a major in business in the liberal arts. After graduation, Vilas Scholars are assisted further by introducing them to colleagues in the alumni network.

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