Two Sophomores Snag Truman Scholarships

Two sophomores have been named Truman Scholars for 1986 and can receive more than $20,000 in scholarships in the coming years, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation announced last week.

Gary C. Epperley '88 and Melissa S. Lane '88 won two of the 102 scholarships awarded nationwide this year to sophomores who show exceptional promise in the area of public service, more than 1000 students were nominated for the award by their colleges and universities.

The annual scholarships provide up to $6500 each year during the last two years of college and first two of graduate study.

Epperley, an Oklahoma native and Mather House resident, hopes to spend his life helping Native Americans. Part Indian himself, he plans to attend law school and then help Native Americans to realize the economic potential of their land.

"The key is getting access to the rights to the water, timber, coal and oil that is on their lands. It's entirely couched in legal terms and demands legal interpretation," he said.

An American History and Literature concentrator, Epperley has also been involved in the Institute of Politics.

Lane, a Social Studies concentrator, says her primary interest is in public education. In high school, she served as the only student representative to the California State Board of Education. Currently, she is working with a group in Los Angeles to establish a city-wide high school for academically talented students.

A resident of Dunster House, Lane has also been active in house drama and house crew. She is chairman of the academics committee of the Undergraduate Council, on the steering committee of the Freshman Outdoor Program, and involved in the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee's "Open University."

In choosing the winners, the Truman Foundation defines public service very broadly, said Harvard Director of Felowships Melinda S. Walsh. "We've had winners who have devoted their time to helping migrant workers in Texas, working in Washington as aides, and writing books on psychology," she said.

Harvard had two sophomore winners last year and three the year before. "We seem to get two or three every year, as the nominating process [within Harvard] is fairly rigorous," said Walsh.