Rose and Earl Ingersoll Scholarship

Mrs. Mary ’61/’67 and Dr. Earl Ingersoll established the Rose and Earl Ingersoll Scholarship at SUNY Brockport to demonstrate their long-term commitment to education. The scholarship honors the memory of Rose and Earl Ingersoll, parents of Dr. Ingersoll, distinguished emeritus professor of English at Brockport.

Because Rose and Earl Ingersoll, whose educations ended in eighth and seventh grades respectively, knew how their lack of an education limited their opportunities, they became determined to ensure education for their son and others.

Dr. Ingersoll earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Rochester, his master’s degree at Syracuse University, and his PhD at the University of Wisconsin. He began his career at Brockport in 1964, teaching world literature, English literature, and literacy theory. He became a professor in 1991, and in 1996 was named a Distinguished Teaching Professor. He retired in 2002.

Along with teaching, Dr. Ingersoll maintained an extensive writing career. He produced a series of conversations with such authors as Margaret Atwood, Doris Lessing, Colum McCann, Anthony Burgess, and May Sarton. He wrote 11 books, including Breaking the Alabaster Jar, and he contributed to more than 50 articles in language and literature journals.

Dr. Ingersoll and his wife Mary met in kindergarten. She graduated from Brockport with her bachelor’s degree in education and taught in the Spencerport Central School District. She earned her master’s in education in 1967 at Brockport. At the Spencerport School District, Mrs. Ingersoll helped established the Gifted and Talented Program and taught in it until she retired in 1998. Mrs. Ingersoll passed away in 2018.

Applicants for the Rose and Earl Ingersoll Scholarship must be junior students during the year for which the award is given with a GPA of at least 3.25. Preference will go to students who have demonstrated financial need or who are first-generation college students in their families.