Merting Family donates $500,000 to UWF

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A generous $500,000 gift from the Merting Family has founded the Merting Family Fellowship Support Endowment at the University of West Florida. This donation establishes the John W. Merting Family Office of Research and Intellectual Growth, which will be housed in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

The program will prepare students and faculty across the university to compete for prestigious fellowships and scholarships, including Fulbright and Rhodes Scholarships. Resources will include comprehensive guidance for navigating complex application processes and financial support for enriching student experiences.

A Pensacola native and retired maritime law attorney with over 50 years of experience, John W. Merting said:

“I chose to support our hometown University, which is a very big part of our community. As FSU’s first Rhodes Scholar nominee himself, Merting hopes the endowment will help UWF gain additional Fulbright Scholars and nominate its first Rhodes Scholar.”

The permanent endowment aims to elevate UWF’s visibility and academic stature. Merting encourages others to contribute to this initiative through the UWF Foundation, ensuring ongoing support for the university’s brightest scholars as they pursue global opportunities.

A $500,000 gift establishes the John W. Merting Family Office of Research and Intellectual Growth at UWF

Pensacola, Fla. – April 2, 2025 – A $500,000 gift from the Merting Family has established the Merting Family Fellowship Support Endowment, which will fund the John W. Merting Family Office of Research and Intellectual Growth at the University of West Florida. The program will be based in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities and recruit and prepare students and faculty universitywide to compete for prestigious fellowship and scholarship opportunities.
“I chose to support our hometown University, which is a very big part of our community and one so many are part of and so proud of,” John W. Merting said. “I also wanted to help UWF gain another Fulbright Scholar and nominate its first Rhodes Scholar. Such high profile scholarships are another metric that help raise the visibility and stature of a University. Since our family’s gift is an endowment, any others wishing to assist in the goals are encouraged to donate to the UWF Foundation for the John W. Merting Family Office of Research and Intellectual Growth. This endowment is intended to be a source of permanent financial support for the brightest scholars in the U.S. and their recruitment and preparation for the arduous pathway to obtaining either Fulbright or Rhodes Scholarships.”

The John W. Merting Office of Research and Intellectual Growth will empower students to pursue global opportunities by providing resources for prestigious scholarship and fellowship applications, as well as financial support for student experiences. Students will be provided with comprehensive information, including process guidance and directives, to seamlessly navigate the fellowship and scholarship application process.

Merting earned his undergraduate degree from Florida State University, where he graduated cum laude and was FSU’s first Rhodes Scholar nominee. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to retirement in 2024, Merting was a maritime law attorney for more than 50 years and owned his own law firm, Law Offices of John W. Merting. He was the first attorney in north Florida to be certified by the Florida Bar in admiralty and maritime law. He held the position of chairman of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, a professional organization of approximately 750 maritime lawyers. A Pensacola native, he has served on many local boards and has been a major donor to many local non-profits, including The Satori Foundation and Feeding The Gulf Coast.

For more information about the John W. Merting Family Office of Research and Intellectual Growth, visit uwf.edu/rig.

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Merting Family donates $500,000 to UWF

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