Anyone person or organization wishing to donate to the John O'Connor or Dr. Carl Wies Scholarship funds can send donations to:

New London Firefighters Local 1522
Attn: Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 969
New London, CT 06320

Dr. Wies Scholarship Trust

Mission Statement

The Dr. Wies Scholarship Trust exists to immortalize the memory of Dr. Carl Wies and his dedication to the New London Community. The Trust provides financial assistance to graduating seniors from New London High School and surrounding school systems who intend to continue their education at an accredited institution of higher education.

Eligibility

Graduating, high school seniors from New London High School and surrounding school systems are eligible to apply for the Dr. Wies Scholarship Trust award. Applicants must have a grade point average of 2.5 and plan on attending an institute of higher learning prior to the end of the calendar year. Applicants must complete a Dr. Wies Scholarship Trust Application Form and include an essay as described in the application form.

Submitting Appications

All applications should be completely filled out by the applicant. The guidance office of the high school must sign the application. The guidance office is only verifying that the student's grade point average is at least 2.5 and that, to the best of their knowledge, the information contained in the application is truthful. The guidance office of the school does not choose award recipients, nor do they participate in the process of choosing award recipients. Applicants are encouraged to apply even if others from the same school have already submitted applications; in fact, it is not unusual for the Scholarship Trustees to grant awards to more than one student from the same school. All applications must be mailed to the Scholarship Administrator at P.O. Box 969, New London, Connecticut, 06320.

Deadlines

All applications must be received by the Scholarship Trust Administrator on or before April 1st of the year in which they wish to receive the award.

Process

After all applications have been collected by the Scholarship Trust Administrator, he/she will edit out all names and references that identify an individual in an attempt to maintain a level of anonymity. Edited copies of all applications will be provided to the seven Scholarship Trustees. After all seven trustees have reviewed the applications, they will meet to discuss the merits of each application. The outcome of this meeting and the amount of funds available will determine the number of awards and the dollar amount of the awards that are granted.

Application

Applications should be available in the guidance couselor's office of all high schools in and around New London. The application is available in PDF format by clicking on the link on this page. PDF files can be viewed and printed using Adobe's free download, Adobe Acrobat Viewer.

If those options fail, applications can be obtained by emailing the scholarship trustees. Please include your name and address where applications should be mailed. The trustees can be reached by using the "CONTACT US" tab located above.

Wies Application 2022.pdf

John O'Connor
Memorial Scholarship Trust

Mission Statement

The John O'Connor Memorial Scholarship Trust exists to immortalize the memory of Acting Fire Lieutenant John M. O'Connor and his supreme sacrifice. The trust provides financial assistance to graduating seniors who are dependants of New London Firefighters and who intend to continue their education at an accredited institution of higher education.

John M. O'Connor

On February 1, 1993, John M. O'Connor was an experienced New London Firefighter with 35 years on the job. He was working as the acting lieutenant of Engine 11 stationed at Fire Headquarters, 289 Bank Street. That evening John responded to a serious fire in a home at 91 Truman Street. While working to save trapped occupants of the home, John was struck and killed by an electrical line that had burned off of the building.

Eligibility

The John O'Conner Memorial Scholarship Trust grants awards to dependents of active New London Firefighters. Applicants must meet minimum scholastic criteria, plan on continuing their education after high school, and submit an essay describing a contribution they made to their community.  Additionally, applicants must submit an essay of approximately 250-400 words with this application describing their experience derived from a charitable or community service.

Deadlines

All applications must be received by the Scholarship Trust Secretary on or before April 1st of the year in which they wish to receive the award.

Process

After all applications have been collected by the Scholarship Trust Secretary, he/she will edit out all names and references that identify an individual in an attempt to maintain a level of anonymity. Edited copies of all applications will be provided to the seven Scholarship Trustees. After all seven trustees have reviewed the applications, they will meet to discuss the merits of each application. The outcome of this meeting and the amount of funds available will determine the number of awards and the dollar amount of the awards that granted.

Application

Applications are available in each of New London's three fire stations, from an active New London Firefighter, or may be downloaded from the link provided below.  Trustees can be reached by selecting the "CONTACT US" tab on the left side of the page.

Photo: Memorial honoring John O'Connor outside of New London City Hall.

O'Connor Application 2022.pdf