Charles Thomas Hutchison III Memorial Scholarship
CHARLES THOMAS HUTCHISON III, “HUTCH” was born January 25, 1943. He was the beloved son of long time Armstrong County Sheriff Thomas C. and Dorothy Hutchison, the idolized big brother of his sister, Vicki, the role model for many a young basketball player, the leader of men and the friend of many. Hutch was a 1960 graduate of Kittanning Senior High School and a 1964 graduate of West Point. Hutch became the selfless soldier that gave his life for his country and his men.
Hutch’s father, Thomas C., was elected Sheriff in 1950. The family moved from Apollo, PA to Kittanning, PA when Hutch was 6 years old and lived in the old jailhouse next to the Armstrong County Courthouse. The Court House was Hutch’s home for the rest of his life. Hutch often played in the halls of the Court House where he was frequently found in the company of leaders of the community. He learned at an early age about politics, law and living the life of service. He developed an interest in law and planned on pursuing a career in the legal field.
Hutch was a Little Leaguer, a Cub scout, and a Boy scout. He was a member of the
Y.M.C.A. and the Youth Fellowship. He was an all-around athlete, excelling in basketball, baseball, swimming, and tennis. He loved to waterski. On February 2, 1960, the Rotarians named him “Boy of the Month”. He took honors as an English student. He was a member of the Student Council, his home room President, and a member of the May Court. His classmates voted him the wittiest. The Kiwanis Club sponsored Key Club had him as a member. He was inducted into the Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.
At 6’4”, Hutch led the 1960 Kittanning Senior High School Varsity Basketball Team to the WPIAL Section 1 Championship. He was known as one of the school’s best basketball players. Hutch had numerous scholarship offers from many of the top colleges and universities in the country. Parental guidance, suggestions from friends and teachers and his personal convictions regarding what would be most beneficial to him as a student and as an individual led him to the gates of West Point in the fall of 1960. He graduated from West Point June 3, 1964, as a Second Lieutenant and commissioned officer of the Regular Army of the United States.
While at West Point, he played varsity basketball and was able to apply the discipline and dedication he learned on the basketball court to the rigors of West
Point necessary to become a soldier. Upon graduation from West Point, he went on to complete airborne training, paratroop training, and the Ranger course.
In 1965 there were rebel uprisings in the Dominican Republic and to ensure safe and secure elections US army forces were dispatched to the Dominican Republic to maintain peace and order. Second Lieutenant Charles Thomas Hutchison III of Company B, 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division was among those deployed to the Dominican Republic. On May 10, 1965, Hutch volunteered to lead his men on an assault of a rebel position in the streets of Santo Domingo. One of his men was hit by a burst of fire from an enemy machine gun and with no concern for his personal safety, Hutch immediately went into the street to aid his fallen soldier. As he carried the wounded soldier to safety, he too was shot by the same machine gun and instantly died as he saved his comrade in arms. Hutch gave his life for his country and for his men. No greater sacrifice could be made by any man.
For his actions under fire, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, The Combat Infantry Badge, and the Silver Star for gallantry under fire. February 5, 2010, was declared the Charles Thomas Hutchison Day by the Mayor and City Council of Kittanning and the Kittanning Senior High School gymnasium was renamed the Charles T Hutchison Memorial gymnasium. Hutch was inducted into the Joseph A. Dugan, Jr. Hall of Valor at the Soldiers and Sailors Museum in Pittsburgh, PA on March 27, 2011.
The Charles Thomas Hutchison III Memorial Scholarship was established to ensure that Hutch’s story would be told for generations and that his legacy would be carried on by the future leaders of our country. The scholarship was established by Hutch’s sister, Vicki Hutchison Niederkorn and shall be known as “Hutch’s Scholarship.”
Scholarship Details
Each applicant must:
-Be a senior graduating from Armstrong Senior High School
-Have demonstrated strong leadership skill
-Have shown outstanding athletic abilities
-Be academically strong
-Have displayed significant involvement in community and school
-Present high moral standards and family values
-Have a genuine desire to become one of the future leaders of their generation
-Be accepted for admission to a four-year college or university
Essay Question
Choose one of the following essay questions to answer.
- Describe how you have prepared yourself to become a young leader of your generation.
- Explain how you might apply "Duty, Honor, Country" into your own life.
