Index
Scholarships
The 1LT Michael J. Cleary '03 Scholarship
The 1LT Michael J. Cleary ’03 Scholarship was established in 2006 in memory of 1LT Michael J. Cleary, Class of 2003, with leadership support from Jim Schoff ’68, Hal Higby ’68, along with Michael’s family and friends. 1LT Cleary died in December 2005 while in the service of his country in Iraq. This scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate the highest qualities of citizenship, commitment and spirit of service to Hamilton and the greater community, with preference given to students who are the sons or daughters of an individual injured or killed in the service of their country.
From the time he was a young boy growing up in Dallas, PA, Michael J. Cleary, son of John “Pat” Patrick, Class of 1968, and Marianne Cleary, displayed outstanding leadership, scholastic, and athletic abilities. He lived life to the fullest.
Michael had his choice of academic scholarship offers for college. He chose Hamilton where he played varsity soccer, lettered in tennis, and joined Sigma Phi fraternity, becoming chapter president. His summers were spent working in the College’s Physical Plant.
Described by his professors as “an engaging student with a smile almost always on his face” and an “outstanding young man with great integrity,” Michael graduated in 2003 with honors in economics. Inspired by the events of 9/11, he had been accepted into the Marine Flight Officer Program. Rather than delay, he opted for immediate entry into the Army’s Officer Candidate School, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation.
Deployed to Iraq, his active-duty obligation to the Army would have ended in December 2005. Just 10 days shy of his return home, Michael was killed when his unit was ambushed by insurgent forces. Just prior to his death, he had been notified that he was selected for a promotion to captain. Michael served with E Company, 1st Battalion and 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, and had graduated from Airborne School, Sapper School and Anti-Terrorist School.
Michael and his high school sweetheart were to be married that following February. He was 24 years old at the time of his death. The 1LT Michael J. Cleary ’03 Scholarship was established that year in his honor and has received numerous donations from family members and friends. Michael's sister, Erin Cleary Flanagan, is a member of the Class of 1991.
Hamilton Economics Professor Paul Hagstrom, who knew Michael well, noted upon learning of his loss, “I remember hours of talking to Mike in my office. Class-related discussions on poverty and labor markets would evolve to discussions of family and what he wanted to do after Hamilton. After taking a labor economics class with me, he wrote an excellent senior thesis on the impact of military wages on recruitment.
“He was very proud to have been in the ROTC program. [He] talked of joining the military as a way to extend his education and as an avenue to a promising career either in or beyond the military. While fully aware of the risks of his commitment, he was proud to wear his uniform to my office when he said good-bye, proud of having completed a Hamilton education, proud of his decision to serve his country. I will miss Mike very much.”
Many others who knew Michael, like Steve Bellona, then Hamilton’s associate vice president for facilities and planning, spoke of his smile, his positive attitude and his focused commitment to those things he valued. “Michael was one of those quiet, competent and gifted individuals who was a natural leader with the capacity for humor, the ability to see the bright side of gloom and to understand the importance of committing oneself to the well-being of others. Our remembrance of Michael is not just of today, but every day. We should look to do some measure of good for others –either small or large. Help at school, volunteer for a cause you care about, do something kind for your neighbor, or for that matter a stranger, take some action that makes our community, our world a better place. In that way, Michael will be with us not only in spirit, but in our hearts and our daily lives. He will then be, always, a part of us.”
The year following his death, Michael’s Hamilton roommate Jon Bellona ’03 organized the Run for the Fallen, a 4,113-mile cross-country relay run to honor Michael and all the soldiers killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now an annual event, in addition to honoring fallen members of the military, the Run also raises funds for those left behind.
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages are awarded as part of the College’s need-based financial aid packages. These funds help ensure the Hamilton Promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
Materials published here were diligently researched and written by students who strived for historical accuracy.
