In the summer of 2012, Heidelberg University received a generous grant to create The Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship. First consideration is given to residents of Ohio, who have been accepted to Heidelberg as full-time, first-year students and who have demonstrated an interest in majoring in the natural sciences.
The $5,000 scholarship, awarded annually, is renewable for four years.
Athens, Ohio, native Austin E. Knowlton was trained as an architect but spent much of his career in the construction industry. Known as “Dutch,” Mr. Knowlton was the owner and chairman of the Knowlton Construction Co. in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Through his company, Mr. Knowlton was responsible for more than 600 major construction projects in Ohio and the Midwest, including school buildings, hospitals, libraries and post offices.
He graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering in 1931, and joined his father’s company. Following his father’s retirement, he and his brother founded the Knowlton Construction Co. in 1937. Among his designs are a number of facilities at OSU, including the Fawcett Center. Noted for his philanthropy, Mr. Knowlton was a benefactor of the Ohio State School of Architecture, which is named in his honor.
An avid sportsman who raised and raced horses, Mr. Knowlton had a long-standing interest in baseball and football. He was a minority owner of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s and was instrumental in building Riverfront Stadium. With Paul Brown and others, he co-founded the Cincinnati Bengals and served as the board chair for 20 years.
He established the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation to advance higher education by “providing direct grants and contributions to qualified colleges and universities.”
Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship