The Ellen Curry Foundation
1929-1996
Ellen Curry served on the Housing Authority Board for 29 years from 1967 through 1996. Prior to her death in 1996, Ellen made provisions for the Ellen Curry Foundation. Upon her death, a portion of her estate went to endow the Foundation.
The Curry Foundation was established by Ellen to enhance and improve the general education level of children under the age of 22 years who reside in housing owned or managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Erie.
The Foundation is a Section 501 (c) (3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code.
The Foundation also acts as the umbrella organization for the Louis J. Tullio Memorial Scholarship Program established by the Housing Authority in 1989 to help young Housing Authority residents complete their college education. The original funding for the Tullio scholarships came through annual gifts from the Knox McLaughlin Gornall and Sennett Law Firm.
Ellen Curry was a champion of family-oriented services for public housing residents. She was instrumental in promoting Head Start, daycare, adult education, youth centers, and other educational programs. Ellen designated that the purpose of the Foundation would be to “enhance the general education level of youth living in housing owned by the Erie Housing Authority.”
The Curry scholarships give children of low-income families the opportunity to attend parochial elementary schools of their choice, thus giving them the advantage of accelerated private education starting at an early age as long as the student continues to remain in public housing and in good standing with the school. The Foundation will provide on-going annual scholarships through the eighth grade.
The scholarships provide opportunities to help children receive an education that will lead them to economic self-sufficiency.
The Curry Foundation has awarded a total of $887,654 to Curry scholarship recipients and $170,875 to Tullio Scholarship recipients since its inception. Currently, twenty-eight children are receiving Ellen Curry Scholarships.
