Instituted in honor of Rev. Vincent Hawkinson (1915–2001), an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and pastor of Grace University Lutheran Church (1955–85), the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice offers scholarships to students who demonstrate a commitment to peace and justice. Each year, the Hawkinson Fund also provides an honorary award to individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to peace and justice.
The Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation was created in 1988 and received broad public support from hundreds of individuals. In 2017, the Foundation became known as the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice at Grace University Lutheran Church. In early 2025, the fund transitioned to the Leadership Center for Social Justice at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. We are deeply grateful for the diligent work of those who have kept Rev. Vince Hawkinson’s vibrant spirit alive through the Hawkinson Fund.
Application
Interested in Applying?
The Hawkinson Fund offers up to five scholarships each year, ranging from $2,500–$5,000. The Hawkinson Scholarship supports individuals who have demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing peace and social justice through justice-oriented projects, standing up for their convictions, or displaying ongoing leadership within a peace or justice organization. Ideal candidates will have served as role models, inspiring others to engage in meaningful actions that move society toward a more just and peaceful future.
Please read through the following eligibility requirements before applying:
- Applicant must be a resident of (or currently attending school in) Minnesota.
- Applicants must have received a high school diploma or GED before the due date of this application. (In other words, the scholarships are NOT available to current high school students. If interested, please consider applying in a future year!)
- Scholarship finalists must be available for an interview.
- Scholarship awards will be announced on or before June 30 each year. Scholarships are awarded without regard to religious affiliation or citizenship.
To apply for this scholarship, you must include a nomination letter from a mentor and complete an essay demonstrating your commitment to peace and social justice. In this essay, include the following as they apply to you:
- Completed a specific peace or social justice project
- Demonstrated courage in carrying out your convictions about peace and social justice
- Displayed ongoing commitment to, and leadership in, a peace or justice organization
- Served as a role model for others to move society into new realms of thought and practice regarding peace and social justice
Applications for 2025 are closed. If you have any questions about applying for next year’s scholarship or know of someone who deserves an award, please email hawkinson@unitedseminary.edu. In the meantime, follow the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice on LinkedIn to keep in touch, learn about upcoming events, and find out when the 2026 Hawkinson Scholarship Application becomes available.
Donating
How to Donate
Looking to contribute to the Hawkinson Fund? You can make your gift online with a credit or debit card! Just select “Hawkinson Fund” from the dropdown menu in the form.
You can also send a check. Make the check out to United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities with “Hawkinson Fund” in the memo line. You can then mail to United:
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
Attn: Advancement
767 Eustis Street, Suite 140
Saint Paul, MN 55114
Thank you for your generous contribution to the Hawkinson Fund. You make this work possible!
The Fund's History
For more than 30 years, Vincent L. Hawkinson was the pastor of Grace University Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Rev. Hawkinson believed it was the duty of religious leaders to stand up and speak out against injustices and violence in the world. Upon his retirement in 1988, members of his congregation founded the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation to continue the spirit of this tireless advocate for justice.
The Foundation’s primary activities were to present honorary awards to community leaders and scholarships to students to promote peace and justice.
Beginning in 1988, the Foundation recognized the achievements of 47 community leaders and has since awarded more than $450,000 in scholarships to 170 students in recognition of their deep commitments to peace and justice.
In 2017, the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation discontinued operations and donated its assets to Grace University Lutheran Church with the understanding that Grace Church would continue the Foundation’s mission to inspire bold action for justice in honor of Vince Hawkinson. Renamed the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice, this volunteer-run organization was housed at Grace Church until January 2025.
Who was Vincent L. Hawkinson?
Vincent L. Hawkinson was a remarkable leader who fearlessly addressed oppression and inequality in all its forms. As pastor of Grace University Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for more than 30 years, Rev. Hawkinson believed it was the duty of religious leaders to stand up and speak out against injustices and violence in the world.
Upon his retirement in 1988, members of his congregation founded the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation to continue the tireless spirit of this advocate for justice. Effective March 28, 2017, the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for Peace and Justice will be the Hawkinson Fund at Grace University Lutheran Church. The Fund keeps his dream alive by recognizing those who have made long-term contributions to the causes of peace and justice with the Hawkinson Honorary Award, and by encouraging students who have demonstrated a commitment to peace and justice with the Hawkinson Scholarship.
“We’ve got to go out and wage peace! The world is waiting for it.”
During his 30-plus years of service to Grace University Lutheran Church, Rev. Hawkinson served his parishioners with exemplary compassion and care. Never losing sight of the world and its pain, he continually reminded his people of their responsibility to respond to the suffering of society. He was outspoken against oppression and inequality in all its forms.
Rev. Hawkinson believed it was the duty of religious leaders to speak up and act against injustices and violence in the world. He marched in the South during the Civil Rights movement. Later, during the war in Vietnam, he was a vigorous opponent to the war effort and openly voiced his views. He urged fellow pastors and the church at large to take a stand against the war, but, as he said later, most of the time he felt very much alone.
A son of Swedish Lutheran immigrants, Rev. Hawkinson was born in 1915 and grew up on a farm near Taylors Falls, MN. He graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis and eventually enrolled in Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, IL, graduating in 1944 — the same year he married Gloria Lindgren.
Rev. Hawkinson served in a number of churches on the East Coast before being called by the Lutheran World Federation to help settle European refugees in the aftermath of World War II. In 1952, he and Gloria returned to the United States, where his pastorates included a church in Brooklyn, NY that he helped to integrate during the 1950s.
“The peace and justice movement centers around folks, known and unknown, who stand for something great and grand beyond themselves. And our world needs them.”
In 1956, Rev. Hawkinson was called to Grace University Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, where he served until he retired in 1988. He continued to minister at several other Lutheran churches after he retired from Grace and passed away in 2001 at age 86. Through the Fund, his presence remains and his witness endures.