Dr. Herman & Mrs. Jean Reas Scholarship Fund

The Dr. Herman & Mrs. Jean Reas Scholarship Fund, created by Jean Reas in 2017, honors both her and Herman’s careers. It supports graduates of Harding or Marion Catholic high schools pursuing an education in health care or medicine, especially those considering a career in general/family practice or pediatrics.

Jean moved to Marion in 1987 to become principal of George Washington Elementary, a position she held for 10 years. The couple married in 1990 and enjoyed a brief four years together before Herman, a pediatrician and family practice physician with Smith Clinic, succumbed to cancer.   

Jean hails from Tiffin, Ohio, and created two additional funds at Marion Community Foundation, the Jean Zoeller Reas Fund and the Jean Reas Fund, to commemorate her childhood there and subsequent career in education.

Her intentions for the funds mirror her career interests. She is a supporter of Catholic education–herself a product of Catholic education and having served as principal of the all-girls St. Ursula Academy in Toledo–and women in leadership roles. Locally, she is a familiar face at the Harding Symposium and is greatly looking forward to the new Harding Presidential Center.

The Reas Scholarship is unique in that it is a 2-year renewable award, one of only three multi-year scholarships at Marion Community Foundation.