Geriatric studies are making new friends thanks to Newport Beach native Roy B. Woolsey, who donated $500,000 to the Friends of OASIS to establish an endowment for scholarships for students seeking education in the field of aging.
Woolsey, working alongside lifelong “Newporter” Walt Howald, the 2001 Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year recipient, established the Louise and Roy Woolsey Memorial Scholarship Endowment for careers serving us as we grow older.
The Friends Senior Services Scholarship Committee will administer the Endowment. The Committee is already a pioneer in the geriatric education space as one of the first in the country to offer scholarships to support this pursuit.
Woolsey joins many Newport Beach families in our community giving back in a big way. The Beek family has been operating the historic Balboa Island Ferry for over 100 years, the Pickup family is providing immense support to Hoag Hospital, the Pyle family is working to preserve and enhance the landmark Fun Zone, and lots of other folks volunteer, contribute, and generally support charitable efforts each and every day.
Woolsey’s parents, Louise and Roy Woolsey, were longtime Newport Beach residents. Both were highly supportive of local civic organizations and especially active in their Lido Isle neighborhood.
Roy, an attorney, was a senior partner at Woolsey, Angelo and Thatcher, commodore of the Lido Isle Yacht Club in 1969, and sailed his Lido 14 and Lasers in Newport Harbor. Roy and Louise both participated in OASIS Friends’ programs for many years.
The senior over-50 population is the fastest growing demographic in our community, yet the slowest growing demographic in education is geriatric care. Woolsey and the Howald aim to change this with a new paradigm, crafting the Endowment to encourage more entrants into geriatric studies.
Scholarships are available to both part-time and full-time students for training, internships, certificates, and degrees in gerontology, recreational and cognitive training, mental health, social services, caregiving, senior facilities administration, and related disciplines.
In 2022, its first year offering financial assistance with seed donations from several key community members, the Committee awarded 10 scholarships. In the second year, 2023, 15 students received a total of $23,500. In 2024 to date, 20 students received awards totaling $30,000.
All totaled, the Committee has awarded $71,000 to 48 applicants attending 34 different education institutions. They anticipate, with the Endowment and additional contributions from the community, another 36 awards totaling $60,000 in 2025. Thanks to the Woolsey Endowment, the scholarships are sure to continue indefinitely.
According to Howald, “The plan is for the Woolsey Endowment to inspire additional gifts and for the Friends of OASIS to be the catalyst for many other institutions, nonprofits, and government entities to provide opportunity in senior healthcare services. We hope more people will participate and grow the scholarships to meaningfully impact geriatric education in the future.”
For more information contact Walt Howald, Chair of the Friends of OASIS Senior Services Scholarship Committee, at walt@howald.us or (949) 922-9926.
Robyn Grant is a member of the Newport Beach City Council. First elected in 2022, she represents District 4. Robyn can be reached at rgrant@newportbeachca.gov or @robynbgrant.
