In 1946, when the senior class of Horace Greeley High School gave $300 to start a fund for students who needed help paying for college, the seeds for the Horace Greeley Education Fund were planted.

Wanting to encourage the students in their efforts, Donald Miles, then the school principal, and Mrs. Lester Marasco, a member of the Board of Education, asked community groups to add to the fund. One of the main contributors was the Chappaqua PTA, though other groups including “The Dad’s Club,” the performing Arts Group and the Lions Club made donations.

Over the years, the money available to Greeley graduates varied, depending on the success of each years fund raisers. By 1964, with college costs increasing and the student body growing, community leaders grew concerned about the informal administration of the fund as well as the lack of continuity for planning. An ad hoc committee met to discuss establishing a formal organization with the specific task of coordinating existing efforts and seeking new ones to insure enough money each year to meet the growing needs of students.

In January of 1965, a proposal was adopted to incorporate as the Horace Greeley Education Fund, “…to provide financial assistance… for the purpose of enabling students to pursue their education in institutions of higher learning…” The first slate of officers was also presented and elected.