Joe McDonough AFT Social Justice Scholarship to award $5000 annually

AFT Local 1493 and the family of Dr. Joe McDonough are pleased to announce the new Joe McDonough AFT Social Justice Scholarship.

Joe McDonough was a professor of psychology for more than 30 years at CSM (1969-2000).  A clinical psychologist, he loved his teaching job (he was a bit of an actor) and the students.  What he also loved to do was fight for faculty rights.  Active in the campus anti-Vietnam War movement, Joe served in a number of AFT Local 1493’s leadership positions as well, including President for two terms (1982 and 1987), terms as Vice President and Chief Negotiator, and Chair of the Membership Committee.  Joe was a political leader, an extraordinary organizer and a skilled budget analyst able to find just where the District was hiding money.   Joe tirelessly recruited faculty members to join the union, and during his tenure CSM had one of the highest percentages (90%) of faculty carrying full union membership.  The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) recognized his efforts by awarding him its highest honor in 2000:  the Ben Rust Award.
It is this spirit of activism and advocacy that frames the Joe McDonough AFT Scholarship.  The $5,000 annual scholarship shall be awarded to a full-time (12 units or above) SMCCD (district-wide) student who maintains a 3.0 grade point average, has a declared major or career track certification program, and demonstrates past and current involvement in community/labor work or other social justice issues.

In photo at left: Joe McDonough with armband at Peace Demonstration against Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia, 1970, CSM.  Photo by Isao Tanaka.