Our Family Tree
Learn about the generous donors who have established charitable funds through Stark Community Foundation.
Established Canton Judge Ira G. Turpin built a legacy of integrity and leadership that lives on through his scholarship fund that recently supported Hoover High School graduate, Emma Curd, who is attending Kent State University for political science and criminology —with aspirations to be an FBI agent.
Ira G. Turpin Scholar Program Fund
Est. 1990 / Scholarship Fund
Canton Judge Ira G. Turpin dedicated his life to the law and to serving his community. Born and raised in Stark County, he rose to become the highest elected African American official in Ohio before his passing in 1989, when a scholarship fund was created in his memory. As a trial attorney, prosecutor and both a trial and appellate judge, he built a legacy of integrity and leadership that lives on through the Ira G. Turpin Scholar Program Fund. Each year, scholarships in his name support Stark County minority students pursuing careers in law or law enforcement.
One of those recent students is Emma Curd, a Hoover High School graduate who is double-majoring in political science and criminology at Kent State University. Initially, she set out seeking a meaningful career in forensic science. After her first semester of college, she realized that instead of pursuing a degree in which you analyze the physical evidence of someone's crime, she wanted a career path where she could use her degree to stop crimes before they happen and bring criminals to justice. She plans to attend law school like Judge Turpin and become an FBI agent, with a focus on ensuring cases are handled without bias and that the right individuals are held accountable.