On Monday, November 11th, Camden Catholic celebrated Veterans Day with a convocation to honor CCHS alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and family who have served or currently serve in the armed forces. Part of that service included the conference of the first annual Francis J. McArdle ‘66 Memorial Scholarship for Veteran Families to Senior Luke Wolpert, whose mother, Kim, is a retired Lieutenant in the United States Navy and a Gulf War veteran.

Francis J. McArdle was a 1966 graduate of Camden Catholic, having started at CCHS in his sophomore year after his family moved to Pennsauken from Philadelphia. Fran was an excellent student and earned admission to Notre Dame University where he attended for one year before transferring to Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Soon after, he was drafted into the United States Army. Fran trained with the army at Fort Benning before deploying to Vietnam in 1968. His tour of service earned him a Bronze Star award and an honorable discharge in 1970, but he paid an extraordinary price. As a disabled veteran, Fran struggled to forget and forgive the horrors of war and his life was never the same. Fran passed away in February 1993 at the young age of 44.

A committee of Fran’s family and friends, including CCHS alumni James Calore ‘66, Dr. Fred Keating ‘66, William Lanza ‘66, and Sue Marren ‘71 have collaborated with CCHS to establish a memorial scholarship in Fran’s honor to support Veteran families. The scholarship committee looks forward to ensuring Fran's story of friendship and sacrifice continues to live on and positively impact current and future generations of Camden Catholic students.

The Francis J. McArdle ‘66 Memorial Scholarship for Veteran Families is currently a $1,000 scholarship, renewable each year, for the child of an Armed Forces Veteran or Active-Duty parent. The goal of the scholarship committee, however, is to increase the number of students awarded each year, and in turn increase the number of families impacted by the scholarship. You can help us achieve that goal with a financial contribution to the scholarship fund via this giving form. Donations can also be made by phone with a call to (856) 663-2247 or via a check made out to Camden Catholic High School mailed to 300 Cuthbert Boulevard, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002. If you chose to donate by check please include Francis J. McArdle Scholarship in the memo line.

As most of us know all too well, Veterans in the United States face many challenges, but providing their children with a Catholic education doesn’t have to be one of them. Show your support for their service, and for Fran’s service and sacrifice, by supporting the fund through a gift of your own.

Francis J. McArdle '66 Memorial Scholarship for Veteran Families

By Camden Catholic High School

Francis J. McArdle '66 Memorial Scholarship for Veteran Families