HSNY ESTABLISHES NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MINORITY WATCHMAKING STUDENTS
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Andrew Waldan Oscar and Andrew Waldan
THE HOROLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK announces two new scholarships - the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship for Black Watchmaking Students and the Oscar Waldan Scholarship for Jewish Watchmaking Students .
The goal of the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship for Black Watchmaking Students and the Oscar Waldan Scholarship for Jewish Watchmaking Students is to encourage a stronger and more diverse industry with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences , and in turn , advance the art and science of horology .
Benjamin Banneker ( 1731-1806 ) was a self-taught mathematician , astronomer and horologist who built one of the first wooden mechanical clocks in North America in 1753 . Modeled after an imported pocket watch that he disassembled and studied , the hour-striking clock kept precise time and ran for fifty years before it was destroyed by fire .
Banneker is also credited with corresponding with Thomas Jefferson on the issue of slavery , and his messages were promoted by abolitionists and supporters of racial equality . Today , Banneker is honored with many schools , streets , recreational and cultural facilities named after him . In 1980 , the U . S . Postal Service honored Banneker with a postage stamp .
“ I ’ m proud of HSNY ’ s newest step towards building legacy ,” said actor , horologist , and HSNY Trustee Aldis Hodge . “ I believe , with the establishment of the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship , we ’ ll be able to open doors of opportunity and light fires in the souls of the next generation of brilliant minds who ’ ll carry horology to its greatest potential .”
ABOUT OSCAR WALDAN Oscar Waldan ( 1923-2018 ) was a Polish-born , Jewish watchmaker and the founder and former President of Waldan International . Waldan learned the basics of watchmaking during his imprisonment in the Buchenwald Concentration Camp during World War II , where he befriended a watchmaker in the camp who
took him on as his apprentice and subsequently , that skill saved his life . Upon liberation , Waldan continued to pursue a life of horology with training in Switzerland and Germany .
Following a prestigious career having held senior positions in both sales and design at Tissot , Universal Geneve and the Holzer Watch Company from the 1950s to 1970s , as well as independent consulting for entities like IWC and Rolex in the 1980s , Waldan founded Waldan International in 1979 . He went on to produce various private label collections of wristwatches for companies like Tiffany & Co ., Tourneau and Neiman Marcus before designing and launching his own line of fine timepieces under the Waldan brand . “ It brings me great pride to launch this scholarship with the Horological Society of New York , in honor of my late father , Oscar Waldan ,” said Andrew L . Waldan , CEO and President of Waldan International . “ Education was one of my father ’ s greatest passions in life , he worked to enrich his own life with knowledge , and by offering this opportunity supporting talent where merited , we will contribute to the current and next generations of this great art form that connects so many around the world .”
The application period for the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship , the Oscar Waldan Scholarship is January 1 to March 1 of every year . Any Black or Jewish student who has been accepted or is currently studying at a full-time watchmaking school in the USA is eligible for the Benjamin Banneker and Oscar Waldan Scholarship , respectively . Prospective students may also apply , with the understanding that the scholarship is contingent on their enrollment at a full-time watchmaking school . Financial aid is awarded every April with awards up to $ 5,000 in 2021 . To apply , students should email a letter in PDF form to the Trustees of the Horological Society of New York that includes a biography , an explanation of their motivation to study watchmaking , and an explanation of how this scholarship would benefit the applicant . A resume is required , and reference letters are recommended . – Source : HSNY
20 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2021