The Wolcott Foundation: A High Twelve Connection

Last week, when I walked into Bee’s Buffet for my High Twelve Club meeting, I almost didn’t go.

I had plenty of things I needed to get done. But sometimes the meetings you almost skip turn out to be the ones you are most glad you attended.

That evening, I had the opportunity to meet Michael E. Clark, Chairman of the Wolcott Foundation. For the past several years, I have served as the Wolcott representative for Hamilton High Twelve Club #414, so I already had a personal connection to the Foundation. I had also visited George Washington University in February 2024, which made what Michael had to say especially interesting to me.

Michael has served as a Wolcott trustee for 16 years and has been chairman for about 10 years. As he described the Foundation's history and mission, I realized just how much bigger this story was than I had understood.

More Than 60 Years of Investing in Public Service

The Wolcott Foundation has been supporting students for more than 60 years.

During that time, it has provided approximately 525 fellowships.

Think about that for a moment.

The Foundation was helping future leaders long before many of today's fellows had even entered grade school—and in some cases, before they had even been born.

The purpose of the fellowship is particularly interesting. Wolcott Fellows receive financial support for their graduate education, but there is also an expectation that they will use that education in public service. Fellows commit to two years of employment in government service after graduation.

The Foundation looks for students with strong academic, civic, and social credentials. One of the requirements is a minimum 3.5 GPA.

And the impact reaches well beyond the students themselves.

Michael told us about former fellows who went on to important positions in government and international affairs. Among those examples was Charles Ford, a former Wolcott Fellow who went on to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras.

He also mentioned Lincoln McCurdy, another Senior Wolcott Fellow who went on to spend approximately 30 years as a U.S. diplomat in the Middle East.

Some former fellows have gone on to positions where their connection to the Foundation can no longer be publicly acknowledged. In some cases, photographs and names that once appeared publicly have had to be removed because of the security-sensitive nature of their work.

That is a pretty remarkable legacy for a scholarship program.

A Connection to George Washington University

The Wolcott Foundation has a particularly close relationship with George Washington University.

George Washington University was founded in 1821 by an act of Congress, and the university has a long connection to Freemasonry. Michael noted that the first 18 presidents of the university were Master Masons.

The 19th president is Ellen M. Granberg, Ph.D., who became the university's president in 2023—and she is the first woman to hold the position.

Michael also shared an interesting connection: he told us that Dr. Granberg was a member of Job's Daughters and that both her father and grandfather were 33° Masons.

That doesn't make her a Mason, of course. But it is another example of the connections between the university, its leadership, and the Masonic community.

There is another interesting connection between the fellows and Freemasonry as well. Michael told us that several former fellows have eventually become Masons themselves.

The Foundation's Financial Story

The financial story of the Wolcott Foundation was another part of Michael's presentation that caught my attention.

In 2023, the Wolcott Foundation transferred $4 million to George Washington University to manage on behalf of the Foundation. Another $1 million was transferred in 2024.

Since George Washington University began managing those funds, the $5 million transferred so far has grown to approximately $7.5 million as of September 2026. Michael said that the investments had averaged roughly 20% growth over the previous three years, with no fees being charged.

And there is more to come. Michael told us that another $250,000 contribution is forthcoming.

The goal isn't simply to provide scholarships today. The goal is to build an endowment strong enough that the Foundation can continue providing fellowships year after year—essentially creating a source of support that can continue in perpetuity.

That's a very different way of looking at a scholarship.

It's not simply, "How much money can we give away this year?"

It's, "How do we make sure there is money available for students decades from now?"

The Masonic Connection

The Masonic connection doesn't stop with the Foundation's history.

Michael told us that four of the seven new Wolcott Fellows had Masonic backgrounds.

That connection makes sense when you understand what the Foundation is trying to accomplish. The fellowship isn't simply about academic achievement. It is about preparing people for careers in public service and encouraging values associated with service and leadership.

The Foundation meets at George Washington University every October, continuing the relationship between the university and the organization that has supported generations of students.

At our High Twelve meetings, there is also a little red schoolhouse where members can make donations to the Wolcott Foundation.

It's a small object that represents a much larger idea: individual contributions, gathered over time, can help support students who may eventually serve their communities, their states, or their country.

Learning More

Michael also mentioned that there are six videos available on YouTube that tell more of the Wolcott Foundation's story. Each is approximately 15 minutes long.

After hearing him speak, I can understand why there is so much material to explore.

A foundation that has been operating for more than six decades, supported hundreds of fellows, accumulated millions of dollars in an endowment, and sent graduates into government and international service has a story worth telling.

And for me, that story suddenly became personal.

Sometimes You Just Need to Show Up

I had debated whether I should even attend that High Twelve meeting.

I had things to do.

I could have stayed home and worked on them.

Instead, I went to Bee's Buffet.

And I'm glad I did.

I went expecting another High Twelve meeting. Instead, I walked away with a better understanding of an organization I had already been connected to, a new connection to the person leading it, and a whole collection of stories about education, public service, Freemasonry, George Washington University, and the people who have passed through the Wolcott program.

That's one of the things I enjoy most about GEMS+H.

Genealogy, Education, Masonry, Stamps, and History don't really exist in separate boxes. Pull on one thread and you often discover another connection waiting underneath it.

This time, the thread started at a High Twelve meeting and led me to the Wolcott Foundation.

Sometimes you just need to show up.

The stories are out there.

Sometimes you just have to be there when they are told.