James Bernard Willett
1940-1998 
Dr. James Bernard Willett, an astrophysicist, worked for the nation's space program for more than twenty eight years until his passing on June 19, 1998.
More information about Dr. Willett's life and work can be found here in the obituary written by William A. Mahoney of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society.
Applying for a Scholarship
To be considered for a USRA Scholarship, applicants must complete an application and return it to USRA by May 1. The application must include:
- A completed application form. Only completed application forms will be considered. The application packet can be downloaded here (link to USRA-Scholarship-Application.pdf).
- Two completed recommendation forms (included in the application packet) with at least one from a teacher or school official at the college level.
- An official college transcript for the last two years with GPA.
- A one-page (<500 words) typed statement stating the applicant's qualifications and educational and career goals.
All of the above items must be submitted before the application will be considered.
To complete your application, download and print the Scholarship Application Package consisting of:
- Program Overview Page
- Scholarship Application Form
- Recommendation Forms
- Help Page
To print your forms, click on the above link to view the forms and use your browser's print option to print your own copy. The forms can be filled online and printed or printed first and completed by hand. In either case, mail your completed forms back to the address given in the instructions. The same procedure should be followed for the two recommendations forms. DO NOT email us your completed application; emailed submissions will not be considered.
Donations
The James B. Willett Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established by the Willett family in honor of Dr. Willett and his contributions to astrophysics. All donations will be matched by USRA.
If you wish to contribute to the Fund, please make your donation payable to:
USRA c/o The James B. Willett Memorial Scholarship Fund
10211 Wincopin Circle, Suite 500
Columbia, MD 21044-3432
The Willett family will be notified of your donation. The Fund will be used for educational purposes and is administered by the USRA Board of Trustees.
