St. Regis senior Connolly earns Gaylord Green Scholarship

Gaylord Green lived in Haugan and graduated from St. Regis High School in 1958. He received an appointment to the Air Force Academy where he graduated with a degree in engineering science, followed by a master’s in aeronautics/astronautics at Stanford. He had a successful career in the Air Force. 

Green had a major role in ending the Cold War and he is credited with inventing the Global Positioning System (GPS). 

“I received no money from that [creating the GPS] other than my Air Force salary as those were my Air Force assignments,” he humbly shared. “After my Air Force retirement, I made my money starting a company to support Stanford and NASA to verify the theory of relativity [curvature and rotation of space].” 

The concept of leaving the world a better place can be traced back to a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — that is to have succeeded.” 

Green has succeeded. 

“I always returned to Mineral County every year for many years to get my head screwed on right,” he smiles, and he continues to host many classmates to comfortable vacations every summer. 

His generosity continues in the public education system that started him off to an adventurous life with his Gaylord Green Scholarship which offers $2,000 per year for four years with the beneficiary understanding that they must maintain a ‘B’ GPA and a 12-unit minimum course load. 

“The scholarship is intended to bring a successful business to Mineral County without changing the culture that I loved which a big industry would change,” he said. “While restaurants and bars and motels have been successful, no appropriate industry has been successful so the young people leave Mineral County.”

Merry Mueller, Mineral County Treasurer and Superintendent of Schools, is the administrator of the Gaylord Green Scholarship. 

“While it is a complex application, it is definitely worth it,” she explains. “It challenges a student to contemplate a business in Mineral County to offer employment and families to live and grow. I am so proud of the students that apply for this amazing scholarship.” 

Mueller released the name of this year’s winner as Jack Connolly who is graduating from St. Regis High School and will be attending Brown University in Providence, RI, this fall. Brown is a leading Ivy League research university with a 5% acceptance rate and a student to faculty ratio of 6:1.

“The nice thing about Brown, and one of the reasons I wanted to go in the first place is that they encourage the kids to explore the first two years to find out what they are interested in,” shared Connolly. “Theres one class I’m registered for that it’s kind of like a hybrid; it’s computer science/economics and that’s probably what I’m going to start my prerequisites for. But what I’m really going to do is take as many classes as I can and try to figure out which one I like the best.” 

Connolly has spent the last two years doing research and visiting campuses. 

“I went to Berkley and Stanford and spent two weeks at Harvard, where I toured other universities," he said. "They were all interesting but they didn’t speak to me, if you know what I mean? Brown was the last college tour and the student life and the student body and the vibe of the place was exactly what I was looking for.” 

He’s a big part of the St. Regis golf team today but may not have time next year. 

“They don’t have a golf team, but they have a golf club, which is semi-competitive. That’s probably what I’ll do as it’s not as pressing as a team sport,” he said. 

Connolly has received scholarships from Blackfoot and a National Merit Scholarship and is waiting to hear from others including the Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship valued at $10,000.

As Mueller said, the application process for the Gaylord Green Scholarship is demanding as it requires applicants to develop a business plan with the fabrication of a new business. 

“His business plan assists residents by leveraging technology to connect individuals in need with those offering their services. In offering greater efficiency, convenience, and community engagement versus ‘word of mouth’ or local classified ads,” she summarized from his eight-page submission. 

She is also excited to announce that she will oversee the Mike Church Scholarship which begins in the 2024-2025 school year.  

“Any student who resides in Mineral County and attends Alberton, St. Regis, or Superior high school are eligible.  This is different as it’s for students who are interested in one and two-year occupational/technical/vocational programs. High schoolers that expect to graduate with a “B” average or higher during their senior year are eligible to apply that spring.”

Information for the Gaylord Green and Mike Church Scholarships will be available from the school counselors after summer break.