The Commerce '66/ James R. Booth Memorial Award

At Smith, we believe a student’s financial situation should not curtail their opportunities. Higher education has been hailed as a great equalizer, and it stands to reason that when we make a Commerce education available to all exceptional students, we enable a broader range of perspectives and voices to inform leadership, innovation, and advancement in business and society.

We rely on philanthropic support from our alumni and friends to ensure that exceptional students are able to attend and benefit from the Commerce program, regardless of their financial situation. One in four students in the Commerce program qualifies for financial assistance, and for many, a bursary or award makes the difference in determining whether they will be able to accept their offer to attend Smith School of Business.

The Commerce ’66 Awards were originally established in 1996 on the occasion of the Class of Commerce 1966’s 30^th reunion, and the James R. Booth Memorial Award was originally established in 2007. The two awards were combined in celebration of the Class of Commerce 1966’s 50th reunion in 2016 to establish one central class award that would result in a greater impact on students in the Commerce program at Smith. The Commerce ‘66/James R. Booth Memorial Award is gifted annually to an undergraduate student at Smith School of Business based on demonstrated financial need and academic achievement. Since its creation, the Commerce ‘66/James R. Booth Memorial Award has supported 42 deserving students!

Your support, today, will help make the future brighter for our students, our community, and our society.

“I would like to say thank you for being a donor and for providing financial support to students like myself who are very passionate about learning at Smith School of Business. Your generosity allows me to continue my education and feel less burdened by financial stress. Your support inspires me to strive towards a degree that will help propel my career and enable me to pay those efforts forward by using my education to help others through volunteering work and other endeavors.” - The Commerce 1976 Admission Award Recipient, 2020-21