Freeman Committee

The BSCES Freeman Fund Committee is the designated steward of the John R.Freeman Fund, a fund established by the gift of John R. Freeman devoted to "the encouragement of young engineers." The Freeman Fund Committee is entrusted with administering the Fund disbursements according to the purposes set forth in the 1920s and 1930s by Mr. Freeman and the original Committee he chaired. The Committee disburses funds in a variety of forms (grants, scholarships, sponsored events) to meet the following set of objectives: Mentoring, teaching, and fostering professional growth of younger members; Emphasizing the theme of "hydraulics" and directly related subjects; Subsidizing travel and communications beyond the Society'sgeographic area, for spreading knowledge into the Society's area; Supporting publication and other types and means of disseminating the information gathered and developed; and, Spreading the word beyond the Society's membership, to the benefit of society in general and the profession specifically. One of the Committee's main activities is sponsorship of the annual Freeman Lecture, in which a prominent member of the water-resources and environmental engineering community is invited to present a lecture on a current topic of interest. This annual lecture is usually given in March or April. The Committee has also provided grants to Boston-area students and young professionals to pursue studies or activities in keeping with Freeman's intent. An application for grant support can be sent to the Committee at any time. In addition, the Committee has used the Freeman Fund to support BSCES publications. To learn more about the fund, past lectures, grants and scholarships, and to contact committee members visit the Freeman Fund area of this website.