Henry L. Bretton and Marian More Bretton Scholarship
Dr. Henry L. Bretton and his wife Marian More Bretton met as students at the University of Michigan in 1951, the year she received her master’s degree and he received his PhD, both in political science. They married in September 1951, beginning a life of family and travel.
Dr. Bretton’s research took him to Europe and to Africa where the couple, their son, and their daughter spent two years while he was on teaching assignments in Ghana and Kenya. In 1969, Dr. Bretton was invited to join the faculty at SUNY Brockport, which at the time was transitioning from a teachers college to a liberal arts school.
Dr. Bretton had come to the United States from Germany in 1938 with his mother. Although his dream of becoming a college professor was interrupted by service in Military Intelligence during World War II, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University after the war. He did his graduate work at Michigan. During his Brockport career, Dr. Bretton was a respected member of the Political Science faculty and the author of several books on African studies, international relations, and political economics.
A native of Chicago, Mrs. Bretton attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate and master’s degrees. In Brockport, Mrs. Bretton became involved with the Historical Society of Early American Decoration and developed her talent as an accomplished painter. Dr. and Mrs. Bretton continued international travel as part of Fulbright programs and by themselves.
In 1985, Dr. Bretton retired from the Brockport faculty and the couple moved to Albuquerque to be near their daughter and her husband. They continued to enjoy travel and played bridge. Mrs. Bretton continued painting with the Rosemalers of New Mexico. She passed away in 2007. In 2017, Dr. Bretton published his autobiography, A Dream, Shadows & Fulfillment. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 102.
The couple established this scholarship to show appreciation to Brockport for all the good experiences that the college made possible for the Bretton family.
Qualified applicants for the Henry L. Bretton and Marian More Bretton Scholarship have made a solid commitment to the study of medicine by attaining junior status and working with the pre-professional advisors on applying for medical school admission. Applicants also must display academic excellence with a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 and a minimum GPA of 3.6 in science and English courses as well as exemplary scores on all parts of the MCAT examination.
They must demonstrate a commitment to the medical profession through paid or voluntary experience in a medical setting. They must also submit a reference on their potential for excellence in the medical profession from a member of the community, and a personal essay that indicates why they want to be a physician, including their specific goals in the profession.