Carlin leaves legacy, scholarship at A&M

By: Kenny Ryan

Posted: 6/24/08

In his stand-up routines, George Carlin often joked, "Education sucks, and it will never ever ever be fixed." He would rail against universities, saying U.S. education had reached such a pitiful state that soon the only requirement to enter college would be to own a pencil.

To the American public, Carlin, who died Sunday at age 71, was a comic genius for more than 40 years. He was a product of the 1960s counterculture movement that railed against religion, government and education. Not even words were safe from his wrath. But for some Texas A&M students, the comedian was a source of financial support.

There is a scholarship with Carlin's name on it.

The Joe C. Monroe-George Carlin Scholarship was created in 1980, and has served students who wish to study journalism for 28 years.

Bob Rogers was the journalism department head in 1980 when the scholarship was created. Rogers said he remembers being surprised when he learned that the outspoken comedian had created a scholarship to benefit students of journalism.

"He did that in honor of [Joe Monroe] who was a manager of a radio station here," Rogers said. "[Monroe] had given Carlin one of his first breaks in radio in Louisiana. He died and Carlin came over and set up a benefit concert in his name, and the proceeds is what made the [Monroe-Carlin] scholarship."

Creating a scholarship is a far cry from the establishment-challenging Carlin seen on stage. Carlin established the scholarship without fanfare and away from attention.

"He didn't tell us he was doing it," Rogers said. "It was a real tribute on his part to somebody who had been helpful to him when he was young and unknown, and he didn't want to make a big deal about it, no publicity.

"It just appeared one day, he had come in and done his thing and gone before we even knew anything was happening."

A&M's coordinator of journalism studies, Randall Sumpter, said the scholarship is one of seven inherited from the department of journalism when it closed down. It is now one of 10 journalism scholarships students can compete for.

"There is a scholarship committee [that determines who the scholarship goes to,]" Sumpter said. "[There is] a rep from journalism studies, a rep from local media and then there is a rep from student services. We review the applications and pick the most qualified candidates that fit the qualifications for the particular scholarship."

The 2008-2009 recipient of the scholarship is Katherine Coburn, class of 2009. Coburn graduated from Angelina College in Lufkin and has come to A&M to further her education. The Monroe-Carlin Scholarship will help Coburn pay $1,000 of her educational expenses for next year.

As news of Carlin's death spread, the man who played the role of stand-up's elderly rebel on stage is remembered not only for the jokes he told, but for the lives he helped.

Sumpter said that to his knowledge, Carlin never interacted with the University or the scholarship in the previous 10 years. Despite having never met him, Sumpter had kind words for about Carlin.

"We are of course saddened to see that he is gone, and we appreciate the fact that he was a supporter of our students in the past."

Though Carlin was known most for his material that railed at the status quo, moments of kindness shined through his 'angry old man' stage persona.

In a 1997 interview with the Associated Press, Carlin said, "One of the things I detest most in people is being unkind. To anyone, but especially to people who have less power than you, less status than you."

Words like these are not often associated with Carlin, but seem to fit into his seemingly secret identity as a nice guy. A genuine kindness that Carlin took steps to hide, rather than broadcast.

"We were really astounded and pleased," said Rogers about the creation of the Monroe-Carlin scholarships. "I don't know of anyone else that ever gave us anything without wanting everyone to know about it. Everyone else wants a bit of publicity.

"It was a very generous and thing to do and it really touched us because it was a real tribute to somebody out of his past he could have brushed off, but he didn't."

In his interview with the Associated Press, Carlin reflected about what he would want to see in an obituary about himself. Continuing his trend of being one for modesty, he wanted to be remembered simply.

"'Gee he was just here a minute ago.' That's how I want to be remembered."