Retrospect: Foundation gave scholarships

Tonight, Jay County High School seniors will be honored for their academic achievements.

The same happened this week more than two decades ago, too.

On May 4, 1992, The Portland Foundation presented more than $120,000 in scholarships to Jay County seniors in a ceremony held at Center for the Arts.

Among the recognition, The Portland Foundation established a scholarship fund of nearly $400,000 through former Madison Township residents Raymond and Mary L. Shreeve. The couple bequeathed the funding as part of their wills during the previous year.

Ty Blankenbaker, Catherine Muhlenkamp and Nannette Deem were the inaugural recipients of the Shreeve scholarships. Blankenbaker and Muhlenkamp received renewable scholarships of $2,000 per year for four years, while Deem received $1,000 per year for pursuing a three-year vocational degree.

Brett Beard and Joni Miller were honored as the top academic members of the JCHS class of 1992, which had 65 earn scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000.

Adjusted for inflation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, the $120,000 in 1992 is equal to $209,721 in 2017.

The Jay County class of 2016 received nearly $218,000 from The Portland Foundation, as the class racked up a record $2.2 million in total scholarship money.