Spring Break
Carlin leaves legacy, scholarship at A&M
By: Kenny Ryan
Issue date: 6/24/08 Section: News
In his stand-up routines, George Carlin often joked, "Education sucks, and it will never ever ever be fixed." He would rail against universities, saying U.S. education had reached such a pitiful state that soon the only requirement to enter college would be to own a pencil.
To the American public, Carlin, who died Sunday at age 71, was a comic genius for more than 40 years. He was a product of the 1960s counterculture movement that railed against religion, government and education. Not even words were safe from his wrath. But for some Texas A&M students, the comedian was a source of financial support.
There is a scholarship with Carlin's name on it.
The Joe C. Monroe-George Carlin Scholarship was created in 1980, and has served students who wish to study journalism for 28 years.
Bob Rogers was the journalism department head in 1980 when the scholarship was created. Rogers said he remembers being surprised when he learned that the outspoken comedian had created a scholarship to benefit students of journalism.
"He did that in honor of [Joe Monroe] who was a manager of a radio station here," Rogers said. "[Monroe] had given Carlin one of his first breaks in radio in Louisiana. He died and Carlin came over and set up a benefit concert in his name, and the proceeds is what made the [Monroe-Carlin] scholarship."
Creating a scholarship is a far cry from the establishment-challenging Carlin seen on stage. Carlin established the scholarship without fanfare and away from attention.
"He didn't tell us he was doing it," Rogers said. "It was a real tribute on his part to somebody who had been helpful to him when he was young and unknown, and he didn't want to make a big deal about it, no publicity.
"It just appeared one day, he had come in and done his thing and gone before we even knew anything was happening."
A&M's coordinator of journalism studies, Randall Sumpter, said the scholarship is one of seven inherited from the department of journalism when it closed down. It is now one of 10 journalism scholarships students can compete for.
To the American public, Carlin, who died Sunday at age 71, was a comic genius for more than 40 years. He was a product of the 1960s counterculture movement that railed against religion, government and education. Not even words were safe from his wrath. But for some Texas A&M students, the comedian was a source of financial support.
There is a scholarship with Carlin's name on it.
The Joe C. Monroe-George Carlin Scholarship was created in 1980, and has served students who wish to study journalism for 28 years.
Bob Rogers was the journalism department head in 1980 when the scholarship was created. Rogers said he remembers being surprised when he learned that the outspoken comedian had created a scholarship to benefit students of journalism.
"He did that in honor of [Joe Monroe] who was a manager of a radio station here," Rogers said. "[Monroe] had given Carlin one of his first breaks in radio in Louisiana. He died and Carlin came over and set up a benefit concert in his name, and the proceeds is what made the [Monroe-Carlin] scholarship."
Creating a scholarship is a far cry from the establishment-challenging Carlin seen on stage. Carlin established the scholarship without fanfare and away from attention.
"He didn't tell us he was doing it," Rogers said. "It was a real tribute on his part to somebody who had been helpful to him when he was young and unknown, and he didn't want to make a big deal about it, no publicity.
"It just appeared one day, he had come in and done his thing and gone before we even knew anything was happening."
A&M's coordinator of journalism studies, Randall Sumpter, said the scholarship is one of seven inherited from the department of journalism when it closed down. It is now one of 10 journalism scholarships students can compete for.
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