Scholarship to Honor SK Don Riebhoff, K7ZZ, to Debut

The late Don Riebhoff, K7ZZ, enjoying one of his passions in 1977. [Photo courtesy Lew Gordon, K4VX]

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 19, 2000--A scholarship to honor the memory of an amateur who led a fascinating life of international public service will join the roster of The ARRL Foundation's 31 annual scholarship awards. The Don Riebhoff Memorial Scholarship, endowed through the generosity his many friends, will be awarded for the first time this year. The $1000 award is intended exclusively for educational use, to provide assistance with costs of tuition, room, board, books and/or fees essential to the advanced education of the recipient (see "Application Requirements" sidebar, below).

Don Riebhoff, K7ZZ (ex- K7CBZ), was a communications officer in the United States Foreign Service who served in many overseas posts, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Czechoslovakia, Iraq and Portugal. (The call sign K7ZZ has been reissued since Riebhoff's passing--Ed.)

Riebhoff was an accomplished linguist who quickly acquired a working-level knowledge of the language of each country in which he was stationed, even without formal instruction. He utilized this ability to, among other purposes, engage the local population in an effort to improve the status of the Amateur Radio Service in each instance. Whether it was to lead the successful effort to legalize Amateur Radio in South Vietnam, to induce a leading Cambodian official to himself become an Amateur Radio operator, to play a leading role in establishing the annual Southeast Asia Net Convention, to assist Czech hams by doing tower and antenna work for them, or to introduce Portuguese hams to big-time contesting, Amateur Radio was always in the forefront of Riebhoff's activities in each of his overseas postings.

Riebhoff was active on the air as well. During major DX contests, he ran up large QSO totals from several different locations and participated in one of the first-ever DXpeditions to the Spratly Islands.

To those who knew him personally he lived his life enthusiastically to its fullest, closely resembling the James Bond 007 character in all of that character's aspects, including arranging for several entertaining presentations at various Dayton Hamvention gatherings.

Riebhoff lost his life tragically in a traffic accident in Spain at the wheel of the last of a series of beloved Corvettes he'd owned over the years. His close friends regarded Riebhoff as a loyal companion, a brilliant practitioner of everything he did, an unforgettable and irreplaceable source of inspiration in their lives.

The Don Riebhoff Memorial Scholarship Application Requirements The Don Riebhoff Memorial Scholarship is an annual award of $1000, given each fall at the start of the academic year. The scholarship may not be awarded of there are no qualified candidates in a given year. The scholarship award will be offered for the first time in 2000. Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited institution beyond the high school level and hold a Technician class or higher Amateur Radio operator license. Preference will be given to students of international studies. Preference will be given to baccalaureate or higher degree candidates. Preference will be given to ARRL members. Application forms are available from the ARRL Foundation and must be submitted prior to February 1 for the academic year beginning in September of the same year. Visit http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html for an application. Current academic transcripts should be attached to the application. Only applications (with transcripts affixed) postmarked by February 1, 2000 will be eligible for the 2000 academic year award. Academic merit, financial need and a demonstrated interest in promoting the Amateur Radio Service will be considered highly important in selecting a recipient. The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee shall consider all applicants. The decision of the Committee, upon acceptance by the Foundation Board of Directors, is final.--thanks to Tom Frenaye, K1KI; John Kanode, N4MM; Lew Gordon, K4VX; and Mary Lau, N7IAL

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