A new scholarship honoring the life and legacy of beloved educator and arts advocate Tom McHugh has been established for graduating Kent County High School students with a passion for the arts.
Founded through a collaboration between Peg McHugh, longtime community volunteer and Tom’s wife, and Buck Duncan, President of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, the Tom McHugh Scholarship will award $500 annually to a student pursuing an arts-related field, whether visual, performing, or literary, at an accredited college or institution. As donations are made annually to the Tom McHugh Scholarship, the fund will grow and live into perpetuity enabling a larger award each year. Applications are currently being circulated at Kent County High School.
“Tom believed every act was a teaching act,” said Peg McHugh. “He used the arts not just to entertain but to build community, to make space for those who might not find belonging elsewhere. That’s what this scholarship is about: carrying forward that spirit into a new generation.”
McHugh, who passed away in 2021, left a deep imprint on Kent County’s cultural life. After retiring from Vassar College, where he served as head of the education department, he moved to Rock Hall and founded The Mainstay, the now-legendary listening room that began with potluck dinners and live music in a former video store. He later created the Rock Hall Fall Fest, drawing inspiration from music festivals in Ireland, and even launched a kazoo band for local youth who “weren’t academic or athletic, but needed a place to belong.”
The idea for the scholarship took root in a conversation between Peg and her friend, Sarah Schut, Financial Planner at Envision Wealth Planning, who suggested connecting with Mid-Shore Community Foundation. “Sarah knew how to navigate the foundation world, and I had the energy to go talk to everyone,” Peg said. “Buck welcomed us, helped guide the process, and here we are.”
Founded over 30 years ago, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation now manages more than 630 funds and over $185 million in assets, providing critical support through grants and scholarships across five Eastern Shore counties. Last year alone, it awarded $1.7 million in scholarships.
“What makes Tom’s scholarship stand out is its heart,” said Duncan. “We see a lot of academic and athletic funds—but this one is for the creatives, the storytellers, the musicians, the dreamers. These students need support, too. We’re proud to be the stewards of Tom’s vision.”
Applicants must submit an essay on how Kent County has shaped their artistic worldview. The scholarship is designed to grow, with future fundraising efforts including a dedicated website and the return of the Tom McHugh 5K Run during Rock Hall Fall Fest.
“It’s not just a scholarship,” Peg said. “It’s a living legacy.”
For more information—or to contribute—visit the Tom McHugh Scholarship site here.
Or directly here at Mid-Shore Community Foundation.
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