Frank Rocco Memorial Scholarship

The Frank Rocco Memorial Scholarship is created to encourage and support students pursuing their degree in Special Education at WSU. Students must be a junior level student with a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Criteria

Each recipient must be a junior student enrolled full-time at WSU.
Each recipient must have declared Special Education as a major and accepted into the Special Education Program at WSU.
Each recipient must be in good standing with a grade point average (g.p.a.) of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
Each recipient must have financial need.
First preference will be given to a student qualified as above who is a first generation university student.

Biography/Motivation

In March 2008, Dr. Ervin Bublitz established The Dr. Frank Rocco Memorial Scholarship as a permanently endowed fund in the Winona State University Foundation.

The purpose of the fund is to encourage and support student studying to acquire a degree in the Special Education Department, at Winona State University.

Frank Rocco, 69, of Winona went home to be with his Lord Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Frank was born Feb. 6, 1939, in Pittsburgh to Antonio and Anna (Talarico) Rocco. On Dec. 14, 1963, he married Joyce White in Lincoln, Neb. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pa.; master’s degree from Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; Ph.D. from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.; and post doctoral work at the University of Minnesota. Frank’s employment of his youth included stock boy, hod carrier, paper delivery and lifeguard. His professional employment began with teaching in the field of visual impairment at the Society of St. Vincent De Paul and Sumner High School of St. Louis. He was superintendent at the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, Vinton, Iowa, for three years. Since 1972, he had been a professor at Winona State University in the Special Education Department. In May 2007, he retired as professor emeritus. Visiting professorships were fulfilled at the University of Hawaii, Tianshui Teachers College, Peoples Republic of China and in American Samoa. He was a member of Pleasant Valley Church, Winona, and the Winona Hims. He had been serving on boards with the Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota, Rochester, Minn.; Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School Alumni and Clarion University of Pennsylvania Alumni. Frank lived his life passionately, especially in loving his family, helping his friends, teaching and mentoring his students, singing and trusting his God. He is survived by his wife, Joyce; three daughters.

Frank touched so many of us during his 35 years at WSU. His commitment to students and WSU was obvious to all. He touched, inspired and left his mark on thousands of students during his time with us.