By Ketul PatelThe Daily Northwestern
Weinberg freshman Mac LeBuhn knew one thing for certain during the hectic college application process: If he came to Northwestern, he would receive free tuition.
LeBuhn benefited from a perpetual scholarship that his great-great-great-great uncle, Richard Rounsavell, bought in 1866 for $100. The scholarship allowed the purchaser, his son and his grandson to attend NU free of tuition, which cost $45 per year at the time.
The purchaser was allowed to pass the scholarship on through his will, allowing future generations to attend the school for free. NU now interprets the scholarship to include female descendants, according to “Northwestern University: A History, 1850-1975.” LeBuhn’s grandmother currently holds the scholarship.
LeBuhn said he applied Early Decision to NU because he did not have to worry about the cost.
“There was no other school that could offer the same type of scholarship,” he said. “Even without the scholarship, Northwestern is such a great school. I could go to Northwestern for cheaper than (Illinois State University) or a community college, so it wasn’t even such a hard decision.”
Jim LeBuhn (Weinberg ’83), Mac’s father, attended NU on the scholarship, as well. He encouraged Mac to look for the college that fit best.
“We went and looked at other schools,” he said. “He decided Northwestern was the best school for him, and the scholarship was just the icing on the cake.”
Jim said Mac is the 10th person in the family to use the scholarship.
“It’s a legacy beyond our great-great-great-great uncle’s wildest dreams that so many people have benefited from the scholarship,” he said.
NU began selling perpetual scholarships in 1853, according to university archives. These scholarships were commonly used by universities to raise funds in the pre-Civil War period. They also supplied schools with a ready-made student body. NU’s Board of Trustees decided to end the sale of scholarships during an April 1867 meeting.
Al Cubbage, vice president for university relations, said more than 300 scholarships have been redeemed. Cubbage said he did not know how many families that number represents.
An article on LeBuhn’s scholarship in the Chicago Sun-Times generated interest from many people, said Janet Olson, a university archives librarian.
“The Sun-Times article has apparently been posted on genealogy Web sites,” Olson said. “We’ve been getting a lot of calls from people wondering if their family has one of these scholarships.”
LeBuhn said he hopes to make the most out of his time at NU. He is majoring in political science and learning Chinese.
“Considering globalization and the way the world is working, I thought it would be helpful to learn a language other than Spanish or French,” he said.
LeBuhn said he was involved in many extracurricular activities in high school, including debate, the swim team and National Honor Society. He was also the editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper.
LeBuhn said he hopes to get involved with the College Democrats. He has also been trying to get involved with the campaign of Dan Seals, the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).
After graduating, LeBuhn plans to attend law school.
“There are a lot of things I could do after that,” he said. “I don’t know if I want to practice law or go into politics.”
Reach Ketul Patel at [email protected].
