Clyde and Nance Griffin Memorial Scholarship

The essence of the motivation for the Clyde and Nance Griffin Scholarship mirrors the couple’s zest for life, generous spirits and genuine love for Marble Falls. The award was first granted in 2013 by Nance in memory of her late husband Griff, a longtime business man in town.  After Nance’s passing in 2018, the family elected to expand the application criteria to include not only students interested in a career in business but also those considering teaching as a profession in memory of Nance’s almost forty-year career in education.

In addition to the standard application provided by the Marble Falls Education Foundation, students vying for the Clyde and Nance Griffin scholarship are asked to write an additional essay about their chosen fields. “One important thing we look for each year is how an applicant communicates with the written word,” said Clyde’s son, David Griffin. “You get a feel for folks from how they write. It oozes throughout the application — their background, their interests.” Successful applicants are usually involved in community service as well. “We stress community service because that was so big with Dad and Nance,” David continued. “We are not necessarily looking for the best scholars. We are looking for the well-rounded, well-reasoned person who wants to make a difference and can tell us why.”

Clyde Griffin moved to Marble Falls in 1954 with his first wife, Mary, who died in 2004. Together, they were instrumental in starting the Howdy-Roo Chili Cook-off and well-known as top chili-heads from the Highland Lakes to Terlingua, the Chili Cook-off Capital of the World. They were also instrumental in the area’s first Emergency Medical Service.

Clyde Griffin and Nance Murchison were married in late 2005. A few years later, they merged their talents into Griffin and Griffin Insurance. Nance was remembered as “a spirited child, a devoted wife, a loving mother, a passionate teacher, an enthusiastic collector, a dedicated worker, a generous philanthropist, an unimaginable adventure creator and masterful storyteller, a committed friend, a sensitive soul, and a faithful daughter of God.” Together, the two leave behind a legacy of community support and continuing education to benefit like-minded Marble Falls students.