Mrs. Vira I. Heinz, Pittsburgh philanthropist, was married to the company founder H.J. Heinz’s second-oldest son Clifford. After his death from pneumonia in 1935, she traveled regularly to far corners of the world and returned to Pittsburgh where she regaled friends with travel stories and discoveries. One of those was Helen Pool Rush, the University of Pittsburgh’s Dean of Women. It was she who encouraged Vira Heinz to help outstanding undergraduate women share in the life-changing experience of international travel. In the 1950s, Mrs. Vira I. Heinz began writing out a $1,000 check each fall to a junior woman to pay for a summer in Europe. Her purpose was to enhance young women’s self-confidence and motivate them to succeed in life. The fortunate recipients came initially from the ranks of tour guides at the university’s Nationality Rooms.

Over time, news of the distinctive travel opportunity spread to other college campuses, where Vira Heinz began making awards. By 1980, awards were made at ten campuses plus the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus where annual competitions were held for junior female students. The award had increased to $4,000. Following travel, awardees submitted a brief written report about their project.  The program also included an opportunity for new awardees and those just returned from travel to meet at an annual spring meeting in Pittsburgh.

Since 2001, The Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh has been providing coordination and program oversight among the participating campuses.  The Center’s goal is to ensure quality travel and study opportunities and keep track of individual winners’ progress as well as their leadership development.  The travel study scholarship is now $5000 per student and each campus is eligible to receive 3 awards.   There are now 15 institutions participating with the recent addition of the four regional campuses of the University of Pittsburgh.

The program’s core components are the following:.

• Each of 15 campuses holds an annual competition
• Students apply for scholarship in early winter
• Established scholarship committees at each campus interviews nominees
• Scholarship committee selects three awardees from the pool of applicants
• Selection criteria are personal accomplishments, leadership potential, goals statement and study proposal
• In spring, University of Pittsburgh verifies awardees
• Vira I. Heinz Endowment sends individual grants of $5,000 to each campus by mid-spring
• Awardees complete summer travel/study projects and send brief reports in fall to University of Pittsburgh
• University reviews reports with the Endowments program staff
• In spring, University of Pittsburgh hosts reception for both new and prior-year awardees. 

back to top