Friends and family of the late Polie Q. Cloninger, Jr.

Friends and family of the late Polie Q. Cloninger, Jr. established this endowed scholarship in 2005 to honor his memory by continuing to help others in his name. According to Mr. Cloninger’s friends, “He was a giver. He gave of himself, he gave of his time, and he gave everything he had. People who knew him were very lucky people.”

Mr. Cloninger grew up in the Great Depression. He knew about tough times and about making a difference. He worked for the U. S. Postal Service, and then joined his wife in building a cloth store, Mary Jo’s, that still attracts customers from around the world.

Active in Democratic politics all his life, Mr. Cloninger launched a political career by serving as mayor of Dallas from 1963 to 1966. In 1966, he became a Gaston County Commissioner, a job he held for 16 years. He then served as a Dallas alderman from 1983 to 1995.