A reason to quit smoking in 1968

Here is a good example of Nietzsche’s philosophy of finding a strong enough “why to” in order to achieve the “how to.”

A local music teacher in 1968 kicked cigarettes to kick-start a scholarship fund for music students.

Joyce Bearss, choral director at Glens Falls Junior High School for seven years and later at Queensbury High School, began depositing $5 a week in the “Non-Smokers’ Music Scholarship” fund at First National Bank of Glens Falls on Sept. 1, 1968 as a motivation to quit smoking.

$5 was the estimated amount she had been spending on cigarettes weekly.

Scholarships would go to college students from Glens Falls, South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls or Queensbury who were majoring in music.

Bearss saved enough to award the first $200 scholarship in June 1969 to Vicki Matteson of Glens Falls, a clarinet player enrolled at Adirondack Community College.

In 1970, Bearss opened the scholarship fund up to other contributors.

Source: The Post-Star, Feb. 25, 1970