Franklin H. and Shirley B. Williams Scholarship Fund

In 1987, Franklin H. Williams, noted civil rights attorney and U. S. ambassador, established the Harlem Youth Development Foundation (HYDF) to support charitable institutions within the Harlem community.  After Mr. Williams' death in 1990, the Board of HYDF voted to commemorate his achievements by offering direct assistance to college-bound students selected annually as Franklin H. Williams (FHW) Scholars.

Mr. Williams' wife, Shirley Broyard Williams,  died on May 6, 2008 after a long illness.  Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, she spent her formative years in Brooklyn, New York, where she lived with her parents, sister, and brother Anatole Broyard, who later became the noted author and editor of The New York Times Review of Books.  A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Hunter College, Mrs  Williams was herself a remarkable scholar --fluent in French, a lover of the arts, and a dedicated reader of serious literature.   A long-time supporter of the NAACP, in later years she worked tirelessly in support of the Franklin H. Williams Scholarship Fund, today renamed the Franklin H. and Shirley B. Williams Scholarship Fund.

Dr. Enid Gort, Director of the FHW Scholars, carefully screens each applicant, then interviews and selects, on the basis of academic achievement and ability, motivation and need, those students who will benefit most from the scholarship.  These students demonstrate the leadership abilities for which Franklin H. Williams was renowned.

The Franklin H. and Shirley B. Williams Scholars at SEO

In January 2003, the FHSBW Scholars joined SEO, a collaboration that allows FHSBW Scholars to benefit from greater opportunities and more comprehensive services.

The FHSBW Scholars program is now part of the SEO Scholars Program, an out-of-school academic enrichment program committed to ensuring that motivated students of color from New York City public schools are prepared to gain admission to top colleges and universities.

FHSBW Scholars benefit from SEO’s long-term mentoring, extensive alumni affairs programming, initiatives to develop fiscal responsibility and a commitment to philanthropy, and membership in a powerful network of more than 4,000 SEO alumni across the country and internationally.