The James G. Fulton Internship Fund provides funding to highly qualified students with an interest in government. It was established at The Pittsburgh Foundation in 1972 by Congressman James Fulton. This scholarship was later combined with the J. Steele Gow Political Internship Fund to provide scholarships for up to two students a year to intern with Pennsylvania congressional representatives in Washington, D.C.
A South Hills native, Fulton was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1944. He was interested in civil rights, women’s rights, labor unions and funding for the U.S. space program. The son of a banker, Fulton was committed to helping others, whether flying Vietnam veterans home for weddings or welcoming Pittsburgh visitors into his art-filled office on Capitol Hill.
The late Western Pennsylvania Congressman spent more than 27 years training more than 100 students in his office. He taught them first-hand about the challenges and rewards of public life. One recipient of the award was Judge Mark Hornak, who received the scholarship in 1977, and it set him on a career path toward law and community service.
To read more about this donor, read Judge Hornak’s story in our 2016-17 Report to the Community and in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.