The Robert P. Madison Scholarship in Architecture

Purpose: The Robert P. Madison Scholarship provides scholarship support for African American students pursuing a first professional degree in architecture through a National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited architecture program.

More about the program: The Robert P. Madison Scholarship Fund was established in 2004, seeded by generous contributions from Robert and Leatrice Madison, their children, other family members, and friends. In order to mark the occasion of the founding of Robert P. Madison International at the time of the architectural firm’s 50th anniversary, business partners in Greater Cleveland and beyond joined their efforts to provide the Robert P. Madison Scholarship in Architecture – an annual scholarship that would encourage African American youth to aspire to a career in architecture.  

As the first African American registered to practice architecture in Ohio, Robert P. Madison made history. His firm, Robert P. Madison International, achieved a remarkable series of breakthroughs (first black firm in Ohio to design a branch office for a major corporation, first to win a commission to design a major building for the State of Ohio, first to win a competition to design a U.S. Embassy office building). Along with these business successes and barrier-breaking achievements, Mr. Madison and his firm demonstrated a strong history of commitment to the community.  His firm alone is responsible for training nearly 200 African American architects. In establishing this fund to provide scholarship assistance to worthy African American students desiring to pursue a career in architecture, the legacy is expected to build.

Eligibility:
• African American

• Parents born in the United States

• EITHER Enrolled in a NAAB- accredited architecture degree program pursuing their first professional degree, OR

• Planning to enroll (if a high school senior) in a program leading to a NAAB-accredited first professional architecture degree, OR

• A technical or community college student who has completed high school and will be receiving their associate/technical degree and transferring to a NAAB-accredited architecture degree program to pursue a first professional degree.

• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

• Financial need

Application Method: Submit a Cleveland Foundation Scholarships General Application here.

Selection Process: The Selection Committee will base its scholarship decisions on the completed application, evidence of commitment to a career as an architect, academic performance, and special skills or talent related to excelling in architectural coursework. Students must also submit an acceptance letter from the architectural degree program they plan to attend as well as their institutional award letter.

Award Info: The annual award amount will be based on the performance of the fund and number of applicants selected. In the past, awards have been for $1,000. Formal notification of award will be made by College Now to the selected recipient(s). Award will be paid directly to the institution and must be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and/or equipment required for coursework.

Awarded Student Requirements:
1. Maintain full-time enrollment status

2. Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA

Renewal: This award is renewable until students have achieved their first degree, with a maximum of 6 years of support, provided students meet the renewal requirements and funding remains available.

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