Criteria

One or more scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in Public Relations.

History

Jeri McDonald was born in Dee, Oregon, November 8, 1931, and graduated from Grant High School in Portland in 1949. She graduated in 1953 from Washington State College with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech with an emphasis in radio and television. She met husband Art, also a communications major, while attending WSC. She was awarded the Judith Waller award as the outstanding female in her senior year.

Jeri spent her career making a difference in the field of Public Relations beginning with her role as director of PR for the Seattle Symphony, then in a similar role with the Seattle Art Museum. In 1979 Jeri formed her own public relations firm, Jeri McDonald & Associates, Inc., and maintained her dedication to the arts and non-profits for twenty-one years until her death from mesothelioma cancer in March of 2001.

Jeri was a beloved Cougar, giving generously of both her time and financial resources. She and Art supported WSU as original members of the Visiting Committee prior to the establishment of the WSU Foundation, then as President’s Associates and served on the Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1988. At the time of her death, she was a WSU Trustee Ambassador and a member of the WSU Advancement Communications Committee.

Jeri was recognized by WSU for her many contributions – receiving the Outstanding Alumna Award in 1988, the Alumni Achievement Award in 1989, and the WS Foundation Outstanding Service Award in 1991. She and Art were also founding co-chair of the advisory board to the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications. Jeri was also an advisor to the WSU Art Museum

Jeri’s family established the Jeri McDonald Endowment Scholarship in Public Relations to provide scholarships to students in Public Relations who are pursuing their dreams in the field Jeri loved.