Skip to content

John W. McDougal M.A.C. Scholarship Fund

Established 2016

mcdougal_johnThis fund was created in memory of John W. McDougal by his family. It supports the McDougal Athletic Character Award, which is awarded to male athletes from West Aurora High School.

John W. McDougal was born March 16, 1924 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the son of the late Claude and Annie Rebecca (Cunningham) McDougal. John was the son of an oil well driller who moved from Oklahoma to southern Illinois to follow the oil boom. In southern Illinois, John made his mark as an outstanding football and basketball player at Salem High School.

In 1944, during his junior season on the basketball team of which he was captain, John and his teammate Jim Finks placed 3rd in the State Basketball Tournament. Due to his age, John was not allowed to finish his senior year, but instead was drafted in WWII to be a member of the US Navy and then later a Marine medic. He trained at Great Lakes Naval Station and served in Hawaii, Japan, and the Peleliu Islands.

After the war, John entered Evansville College (now University of Evansville), where he lettered for three years as a halfback on the football team. In 1947, John and the Evansville football team met the Northern Illinois Huskies in the Refrigerator Bowl. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Evansville College and his Masters in Science from the University of Illinois.

John then began a 40-year basketball coaching career that spanned five decades. He coached at Palestine High, Carmi High, and Prospect High. He became the coach at West Aurora High School in 1965. During his high school coaching career, he qualified for the Illinois Elite “500” club and ranks among the state’s winningest head coaches with 692 combined victories, 556 of which were at the high school level. Under his tutelage, West Aurora’s 1973 basketball team placed 3rd place at State. Following West Aurora’s 1976 2nd place finish in the IHSA state tournament, John was hired to coach at Northern Illinois University.

At NIU, John’s teams won 136 games, and he helped guide NIU to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1982. He is still the winningest head basketball coach in NIU history. After 10 seasons at NIU, he became an assistant coach at Western Michigan University for two seasons. John then became the head coach at Rockford Lutheran High School, which placed 4th in the State Tournament in 1997. John retired at that time. He is believed to be the only man to coach in both the IHSA 2A and A state tournament finals as well as to compete as a student athlete in the state finals.

John was blessed with many wonderful players and assistant coaches throughout the years. He was named to the High School Hall of Fame at Salem, Carmi, West Aurora, and Rockford Lutheran High Schools. He also made the Hall of Fame at the University of Evansville and NIU.  He was inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame and in 2006, he was voted to the IHSA’s Centennial State Tourney “100 Legends” list.

John McDougal passed away on October 28, 2016 at the age of 92. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Betty Anne Meyers.  He is survived by his sister Mary Anne and daughters Rebecca, Mary, and Nancy. He also leaves behind his seven cherished grandchildren, four great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

Install Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap then “Add to Home Screen”

Accessibility Toolbar