Clifford L. Stanley, Retired Marine General with a Passion for Education, Named President of Scholarship America.

Business Editors/Education Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2004

Scholarship America(R) has named Clifford "Cliff" L. Stanley, 57, President of Scholarship America--the nation's largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization. Stanley, a retired general, led a distinguished 33-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps. Stanley will assume the presidency on July 19, 2004, and lead Scholarship America into the next phase of its life as a national nonprofit.

"I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Scholarship America," said Stanley. "I can think of no higher calling than to serve an organization that is focused on the students of our country--particularly those who are traditionally underserved--and providing access to education beyond high school. Scholarship America is all about fulfilling dreams--educational dreams."

Stanley was chosen for the position after an extensive nationwide search conducted by Heidrick & Struggles, a leading executive search firm.

"Cliff brings a unique strength of leadership qualities to take Scholarship America to the next level," said Dick Schwab, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Scholarship America. "We are excited about the possibilities he brings to our organization given his personal integrity, his commitment to education and his vast management experience."

When Stanley graduated from college he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He embarked on a military life that over the next 20 years was distinguished by consistent promotion and ongoing education. He became the Marine's first-ever African-American regimental commander early in his career. He was promoted to Colonel in 1990--well ahead of the Marine Corps' normal schedule.

In 1994 Stanley was assigned to Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as Director of Manpower Plans and Policies, a position which made him the primary manpower advisor to the Commandant of the Corps. Two years later, he was named Director of Public Affairs for the Corps, where he became the public face and voice of the Marines and proved his ability to market and brand the organization. Stanley was then assigned as the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, CA, where he managed an annual budget of more than $100 million and was responsible for training more than 50,000 people each year.

In 2000, Stanley was named Deputy Commanding General of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command at Quantico, VA, and while there he served a brief stint as Commanding General of the Marine Corps Base.

Upon retiring from the military in 2002, Stanley joined the University of Pennsylvania as Executive Vice President, and he worked directly with University President Judith Rodin until she announced her resignation shortly after he joined the school. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Stanley graduated from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC, with a bachelor's degree in psychology, and from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, where he received his master's degree in counseling with honors in 1977.

His formal military education includes the Amphibious Warfare School in 1978, the Naval War College in 1983, Honor Graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 1984 and National War College in 1988.

He has received numerous military honors, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.

His affiliations include the White House Fellowship Association, where he served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McCormick Educational Foundation Board of Directors, and the United States Naval Institute Board of Directors. He also currently serves as the District Chair for the Northern District of the Boy Scouts of America, and on the Board of Governors for the Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum in Philadelphia.

Stanley and his wife Roslyn currently live in Villanova, PA. They will be relocating to the Minneapolis area. The Stanleys have a daughter who is currently serving as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.

Bill Nelsen, the current president of Scholarship America, announced his retirement in early February 2004. He will facilitate Stanley's transition into the organization over the next four months.

About Scholarship America(R)

Scholarship America (www.scholarshipamerica.org), the nation's largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization, has distributed more than $1 billion to nearly one million students since its founding in 1958. Scholarship America carries out its mission of expanding access to educational opportunities and encouraging academic achievement through its Dollars for Scholars(R), Scholarship Management Services(SM) and ScholarShop(R) programs. For the seventh consecutive year, SmartMoney, the Wall Street Journal's magazine of personal finance, has ranked Scholarship America among the nation's most efficient nonprofits. In December 2003, Forbes ranked Scholarship America among the 50 most efficient nonprofits in America. The Business Journal recently named Scholarship America the number one nonprofit in Minnesota for the second year in a row. In partnership with Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education, Scholarship America founded and raised more than $125 million for the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund(R), which was created to provide educational assistance for postsecondary study to the financially needy dependents of the September 11th terrorist attack victims.