The William A. Solemene Charitable Foundation 

William A. Solemene was a long time Dallas advertising executive.  He was generous in his philanthropy and active in civic service and party politics.  In sponsoring this scholarship, the William A. Solemene Charitable Foundation wishes to honor the spirit of active citizenship and love of country that was such an important part of his life.  Through the generosity of the Foundation, the University of Dallas has been able to award over the past seven years $200,000 in scholarships apportioned to multiple students. 

Once again, the Solemene Charitable Foundation has contributed $25,000 to be apportioned among the authors of the top two or three essays. Submission requirements and the topic and prompt for the essay are listed below.

Deadline:

Deadline for submission is November 1, 2024 at 11:59 pm CDT. Scholarships will be awarded for the 2025 spring semester.

Qualifications:

1. Applicant must be a current University of Dallas undergraduate with at least 15 credit hours already earned but not more than 110 credit hours earned at UD at the time of application.
2. Applicant must be a Liberal Arts Major, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in any major.
3. Applicant must have submitted a 2024/2025 FAFSA. Financial need is a consideration.
4. Applicant must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Requirements: 

1. 800-1,500 word essay - see topic below.  Line spacing for the essay should be at 1 1/2 lines.  Do not include personal identification in the essay; only include your UD student ID number at the top of your essay.  Your essay must be uploaded within the application.
   
2. One letter of recommendation from a University of Dallas professor.  This letter may be uploaded with your application or emailed (either by the applicant or directly from the professor) to finaid@udallas.edu.  If the letter is emailed, the subject line of the email must be: Solemene Scholarship, ID (insert the applicant's UD ID number).

Topic of the William A. Solemene Foundation Scholarship Essay

On the Virtue of Reverence: An Essay

Essay Prompt:

After meditating on the order to be found in creation, Leon Kass writes, “The upright animal, his gaze uplifted and his heart filled with wonder and awe, in fact stands tallest when he freely bows his head” (The Hungry Soul). Yet such tokens of reverence are rare today, and Paul Woodruff, thinking not only of religion but of the whole bent of modern life, calls reverence a “forgotten” virtue.

Drawing on the texts and disciplines that constitute the University of Dallas core curriculum, and drawing from your own experience, explain (1) what reverence is, (2) how it might be important for human flourishing, and (3) whether it is problematically forgotten today.

Among the many possible focal points would be the following:

Is reverence really a virtue or is it just a feeling or experience (such as awe)?

If it is really a virtue, work out a pattern in keeping with the structure of moral virtue outlined in the Nicomachean Ethics. What are the vicious extremes and what does hitting the mean look like? What does right reason contribute? And how does reverence ennoble us?

Does (or should) reverence in worship affect one’s attitude in other areas of life? If so, how so? If not, why not?

Is reverence for authority a necessary condition for education? If so, how so? If not, why not?

Is reverence a hindrance or a help to authentic scientific inquiry?

Does reverence have a place in our relation to others? In particular, what does political life look like, with and without reverence? 

Once you have your essay and letter of recommendation from a UD professor ready, submit your application.