The Nicholas Lachno Scholarship Award
The story begins back in 1924 when the Kiwanis Club of Scranton, then only in existence for 7 years, established the Scranton Kiwanis Education Fund. The purpose of the Fund was to lend money to eligible area students for college tuition.
In 1926 and 1928, Nicholas I. Lachno borrowed $780 from the Kiwanis Education Fund, which he used to attend Harvard University. Scranton Kiwanis records show, Nicholas repaid $100.00 on October 7, 1942. In the ‘60s, Education Fund ceased operations for lack of sufficient capital.
Nicholas, a graduate of Central High School, was one of three children. His father was a Russian Orthodox priest and pastor of SST’s Peter and Paul, the Russian Orthodox parish in West Scranton.
Nicholas died on February 4, 1996 at the age of 88. Records show he worked for the New York Times from 1972 until his death. “He was a gifted Renaissance man with an independent analytical mind in the sciences, arts, music and bromeliad horticulture,” as quoted in the New York Times obituary. He was also a linguist in Russian, German, Greek and Latin.
A close personal friend, Herbert H. Plever, and attorney, was the executor of the estate and was diligent in recovering moneys due the estate from a number of medical insurance policies. As stated in Nicholas Lachno’s will, after all bills were paid, the remainder of his estate would go to the Scranton Kiwanis Education Fund. The legacy amounted to almost $38,000.
The first scholarships consisted of two $500.00 awards and have grown to two $2,000.00 grants today. This was possible when the Scranton Kiwanis Club established the Scranton Kiwanis Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) (3) arm of the Club 10 years ago and continued to fund the initial investment.
Click here to download the application for this scholarship.