GRAFTON – As part of a longterm plan to support the study of horology — or the study of time and timekeepers — and aid those working toward a professional career in clockmaking, the family of former Willard House and Clock Museum conservator David G. Gow and the museum have announced the first Gow scholarship recipient.
Parker Boughton of Des Moines, Iowa, was among nearly 20 applicants competing for the scholarship. Parker studied conservation at Saint Ambrose University, and he was chosen among a diverse pool of applicants.
“I like clocks because of their varied technical repair and restoration challenges, the innovation that’s inherent in these machines and the opportunity to understand the engineering intent of the clockmaker,” Boughton said.
“We are delighted to celebrate Parker as our first Gow scholarship recipient,” said Callum Gow of the scholarship review board. “I anticipate that Parker will be the first in a long line of Gow scholarship winners over many years to come.”
The scholarship is open to any student based in the United States that has begun the journey into the profession of clockmaking. As part of it, $5,000 will be awarded and the money may be used to attend advanced courses provided by various clock and watch making schools across the country.
Applications for the 2023 scholarship are due by Nov. 4.
Willard’s Executive Director Robert Cheney said that the current career path of museum-level clock conservation isn’t well-defined, noting that formal apprenticeship programs are scarce and any funding is difficult to obtain.
“Willard hopes to provide improvements on both fronts,” Cheney said.
To learn more about the Gow Memorial Scholarship for Horology, go to willardhouse.org/david-gow-scholarship.
To donate to the Gow scholarship, you can call the museum at 508-839-3500, mail a check to the museum, or hit the DONATION button on the Willard House and Clock Museum homepage button at willardhouse.org. Please indicate the donation is for the Gow Scholarship.
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