Jennie M. Haver Memorial Scholarship

"New Jersey's First County Helping Teacher" seems an unusual title to many who view public education today. In 1916, when Miss Haver accepted the newly created position, a small one-room schoolhouse served a rural Hunterdon County community of 20 to 50 families. Centrally located to a village and neighboring farms, the schoolhouse had a cast-iron stove for heat, little if any paint, and no plumbing. The teacher, at a time when teachers were rarely trained beyond high school, was the only instructor for 25 to 35 children ranging in age from 5 to 16 years old. Miss Haver described her first year as helping teacher as one of sorting out the closets, organizing the limited classroom supplies, cleaning, and the small schools a more cheerful place for children to learn. Miss Haver's appointment marked not only the beginning of 34 years of service to the county's schools, but also a pioneering approach to improving education. Her work – assisting classroom teachers – proved so beneficial that the New Jersey Board of Education obtained legislative approval to extend the helping teacher system throughout the state. Miss Haver's years of service spanned many changes in New Jersey public education: consolidated buildings instead of one-room schools, transportation by bus, county conferences, better teacher training, and the founding of local parent-teacher associations. Miss Haver exerted untold influence for good in the lives of children and adults. She retired in 1950 and upon her death in 1956, three friends contributed $75 in her memory. That was the seed money for establishing the Scholarship Fund sponsored by the Hunterdon County Council of Parents and Teachers. Dr. Kenneth Wolfe, county superintendent of schools, Dr. Clifford Singley, North Hunterdon School superintendent, Mrs. Sara Higgins, a retired teacher from Ringoes, and Mrs. Peg Schumacher, chairman of a County PTA committee, were instrumental in making a countywide scholarship fund a reality. In 1973 the Jennie M. Haver Scholarship Fund received its first Living Memorial, which was put into a trust fund. Since then, many others have contributed and several have remembered us in their wills. We annually use only the interest earned from the Living Memorial Trust Fund. Since the fund's inception, many new endowments have been created in support of Hunterdon County students. In 1980 the Board of Trustees of the Jennie M. Haver Scholarship Fund agreed to act as trustees for two newly endowed funds. The Mildred Preen Mortimer Civic Achievement Scholarship Award was established in memory of Mrs. Mortimer, Hunterdon County's first state assemblywoman and first county administrator. The Family Nursing Service of Hunterdon County, Inc., provides scholarships in the medical field. In 1996 the DeMott Vocational Award was established through a bequest from the estate of Howard DeMott, the Helen Hoff Scholastic Award was started in 2001, and The Paul Wirtz Agricultural Award was started in 2003. And finally, the one-time Margaret Schumacher Music Award was divided between two recipients. Since 2004, a one-thousand dollar scholarship in her name has been awarded to two music students annually. In 1971 Ella Haver, Jennie's niece was elected president of the board of Trustees and continues to serve in this role today.