Francis A. Metcalfe Scholarship Fund
The Francis A. Metcalfe Scholarship Fund provides assistance with college expenses to children of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees organization (AFSCME) and who are graduates of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This fund was made possible by the son of Francis A. Metcalfe, William and his wife, Cecelia Davidson. For more information on how to contribute to this fund, or on how to create your own scholarship fund, please contact the foundation office at 305-995-7317 or email adelaspozas@giveourstudentstheworld.org
Frank’s Legacy
By William F. Metcalfe
My father, Francis Anthony (Frank) Metcalfe was a hard working, honest man. A sweet, warm, compassionate guy who never had a harsh word for anyone. A wonderful father who was quietly proud of all of us. He passed away in 1996, at the age of 82. I miss him very, very much.
He had a very hardscrabble early life, as a depression-era child in New York City. He was constantly moved from place to place as a part of a motherless blended family. He needed to work to help support the family and never got past the eighth grade.
He was drafted in the late 1930s and once WWII was declared, he was extended “for the duration.” He was part of the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. Like so many members of the “Greatest Generation,” he almost never talked about his experiences. When he got discharged in 1945, he returned to New York, found a well-paying job, and married my mother, Anna, whom he had met while training in Alabama before shipping out. Together, they began a family.
Unfortunately, I was a sickly child. The best medical advice available at the time was that I had to be moved to a warmer climate to survive. My parents packed up our household, my little brother and I, and immediately moved to Miami. We lived in a couple of small apartments until my parents spent the last of their savings as a down payment for a new house in “Myrtle Grove,” the very first development in what became “Carol City.”
The very next summer, Dad was laid off from his Miami Beach hotel job and found work at a manufacturing plan in Hialeah. Just after my sister was born, Dad was seriously injured in an on-the-job industrial accident. He spent weeks in traction in the hospital and was completely bed-ridden at home for over a month. Somehow, even though there was virtually no money coming in, our parents managed to keep our home and put some food on the table.
Dad slowly healed. Once he was mostly recovered, he began to look for a safer and more permanent employment. In the meantime, my mother began working part-time in school cafeterias - it brought in some income and allowed her to be at home when the three of us kids got home from school. One of our neighbors told Dad about an opening for custodians at the Miami-Dade County School Board. Dad was hired as a substitute custodian. As time passed, he was rewarded for his hard work and good attitude with several promotions. Mom continued to work in school cafeterias.
Money was always tight, but they provided for us as well as they could. I was fortunate enough to earn a National Merit Scholarship. It paid my tuition, room, and board directly to the University. It made no provision for books, lab fees, materials, transportation, clothing, snacks, or any social activities. My parents couldn’t afford to send me an allowance and I was too proud to ask for assistance. I found part-time jobs, sometimes more than one at a time. Working instead of studying took a toll on my grades and class load. Eventually, I was drafted during the largest Vietnam War troop buildup. After serving my hitch, I returned to the states, but never returned to college. Like so many plans, “life got in the way.”
My spouse and I have managed to build a comfortable life for ourselves, and wish to “pay it forward.” Therefore, we are creating the Francis A. Metcalfe Scholarship to annually award a cash stipend for a college-bound student, the son or daughter of an American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees organization (AFSCME) employee. The stipend is to be paid directly to the students, to be used at his or her discretion. It is our hope that deserving young students be more able to concentrate on reaching their potential than worrying about an empty wallet.
Any donation made today to the Francis A. Metcalfe Scholarship fund is 100% tax deductible! The Foundation for New Education Initiatives, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Its registration number CH41926 is in compliance with the Solicitations and Contributions Act. All Donations are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.