In honor of our trailblazing chapter member Barbara J. Dawson, the ladies of the Delta Omicron Zeta Chapter are recognizing an outstanding female student preparing for college. The Barbara J. Dawson Scholarship is a one-time award in the amount of $2,500 that will be rewarded to an applicant who exemplifies the type of scholarship and service for which Mrs. Dawson stood.
ABOUT BARBARA J. DAWSON
Barbara J. Dawson was an advocate for doing what is right and in the best interest of all mankind. Mrs. Dawson was involved in a car accident, shattering the lenses of her eyeglasses, which were made of real glass, and sending needlelike slivers of glass into both eyes, leaving her blinded. After regaining her strength, and learning to live in a world without sight, Mrs. Dawson set her course to establish legislation in Massachusetts and on a federal level that would require the use of tough shatter-resistant material versus glass in the lenses of all eyeglasses.
On December 31, 1971, a federal law was passed that all glasses and sunglasses made and sold in the United States of America must be made of shatterproof, splinter-proof, laminated or heat-tempered glasses or plastic. Due to her tenacious efforts, in 1971 Mrs. Dawson was presented with a citation from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Mrs. Dawson was a Life Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and member of Delta Omicron Zeta Chapter in Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Dawson passed away in July 2022. We honor her for her service and for exemplifying the principles on which our sisterhood was founded.
application requirements
Must be a graduating female high school senior who is a permanent resident of Boston, Massachusetts
Must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale
Must submit a college/university letter of acceptance
Must submit a complete application with all required components and documentation
Once you complete the fillable PDF application and have all of your supporting documents, please submit your completed application through the button below. The deadline to submit a completed application is May 18, 2024 at 11:59PM. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Scholarship Committee at zpbdozscholarship@gmail.com.
