Henry Hall Program

Background

In August 1982, the Aquarium established the Henry Hall Endowment Fund to provide free educational opportunities for students who attend or are graduates of the Baltimore City Public School System. Since then, awards totaling more than $400,000 have been provided to Baltimore City Public School middle school, high school, and college students through the Henry Hall Program.

Henry Hall: A Legacy of Learning

Henry Hall (1896–1979) was an engineer, world traveler, teacher, aquarist, inventor, and philanthropist. An African-American, he served as a mentor to Baltimore’s black engineers when there were few opportunities for them in the profession. His community involvement and belief in learning helped shape the Aquarium’s collection and its relationship to the city and its students.

Mr. Hall traveled around the world, observing and collecting aquatic animals. He devoted his entire Mosher Street basement to the care of rare freshwater tropical fish, an alligator, an electric eel, and a shark. In 1977, he donated his entire collection to the future National Aquarium in Baltimore, which opened in 1981.

Today, the Aquarium carries on the dreams of the late Mr. Hall through the program that bears his name and through the dedication, in 2002, of a wax figure in his honor, made possible by a partnership between the Aquarium and the Great Blacks in Wax Museum.

Application Deadline

Applications must be postmarked by April 17, 2009.

How to Apply

Select the appropriate application below to download. Requirements are listed inside each.

Middle and High School Students