In March 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City killing 146 workers, most of whom were locked in the building. The fire shocked the nation and galvanized the labor movement, leading to many of the workplace safety and health protections workers enjoy today, including wage and hour laws, fire safety codes and the Workers Compensation Law.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2002 in memory of those workers. Each year college scholarships are awarded to children whose parents were killed or permanently disabled on the job. The award is $6,000 annually for the length of their studies and is offered to multiple scholars each year.
“The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial fund helps provide these students with access to a college education, even in the midst of a tragedy,” said Erin McCabe, a member of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial board of directors. “It’s very nice to be able to support these children and help give them a brighter future.” The goal of the fund is to continue the shirtwaist factory fire legacy of turning tragedy into social progress, she said.
Scholarship funds are donated by members of the Injured Workers Bar Association as well as members of the labor community and other philanthropists.
“Not everyone has college funds or pensions they can draw on for school. Workers' compensation benefits are capped, and that can make it even more difficult for these children,” said McCabe.
Alexandra Bryer graduated from law school last year and credits the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Scholarship. “The scholarship has helped me so much. It alleviated so much stress about how to pay for school, and I was able to focus on my studies,” Bryer said. Bryer was awarded the scholarship in 2014 and was able to use it to pay for all four years at SUNY New Paltz, where she studied history and international relations. “I was able to go away to school. The scholarship helped me pay for my books and dorms,” she said. When she decided to go to law school in 2021, the scholarship was there for her again. “I attended Touro Law Center, and I just passed my bar exam in October,” she said. “I wish more people knew about this scholarship.”
Bryer’s mother was injured at her office job in Manhattan. “She opened a filing cabinet drawer, and the cabinet tipped over and fell on her,” Bryer said. “After that, she couldn’t work, and she was a single mom.”
Other scholarship recipients include a student who lost their parent in a supermarket shooting, and another whose parent was permanently disabled by a workplace accident.
“I think knowing someone had a positive impact on them, we hope they can go forward and make a positive impact on the world,” said McCabe.
Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis and can be found at: https://trianglememorial.org/scholarship-form/