Although John Motley Morehead's intention was primarily to attract top students to UNC, it turns out that the development of Rhodes Scholars and recipients of other prestigious scholarships and fellowships has become a fortunate by-product of his benefaction. Twenty-three of UNC’s last 26 Rhodes recipients have been Moreheads.

Charles E. Lovelace, Jr., executive director of the Morehead-Cain Foundation, thinks he knows why.

“We think there are a couple of reasons that Moreheads make great Rhodes Scholars. The first is that Moreheads are, in a sense, prescreened for the Rhodes four years earlier. Moreheads are selected based on such qualities as leadership ability, academic excellence, creativity, character, courage, and vitality, which are very similar to the Rhodes criteria. The second reason is that the four-year Morehead experience provides life experience and global understanding, which enhances the Scholars’ maturity and critical thinking and makes them even better candidates not only for the Rhodes and other prestigious scholarships, but also for graduate and professional school or employment.”

Morehead Rhodes Recipients

Benjamin Joshua Lundin ’07
Adrian Mark Johnston ’06
Katherine Jennifer Harris ’05
Rachel Yvette Mazyck ’02
Elizabeth James Kistin ’04
Karine Dubé ’03
Leslie Carolyn Kendrick ’98
Dacia Merle Sampson Toll ’94
Ganesh Muthian Gunasekaran ’93
William David Ball ’92
Peter Blair Henry ’91
Bryan Christopher Hassel ’88
Robyn Shernita Hadley ’85
Lawrence Thomas Ellis ’83
Caleb Kimball King ’82
Robert Allen Long, Jr. ’80
Karen Leslie Stevenson ’79
Hubertus Jan van der Vaart ’77
James Hayes Shofner Cooper ’75
Harold Brent McKnight ’74
Michael Thomas Bello ’71
Robert Worthington Spearman ’65
Norton Fortune Tennille ’62

Since 1974, when the Luce Scholarship program began, 19 of UNC's 26 Luce Scholarship winners have been Moreheads, and since the Truman Scholarship was started in 1977, 17 of UNC's 28 Truman Scholars were Moreheads. Twenty-two Morehead Scholars have received Fulbright Fellowships.

Morehead Luce Recipients

Ann Upchurch Collier ’04
Kelley Ann Vance ’02
Ali Alexandre Mehfar ’01
Jennifer Ruth Kim ’97
Frederick Fitzgerald Wherry ’96
Jason Ralph Cox ’95
Scott Block Wilkens ’93
Heather Jean Lynch ’92
Elisabeth Christie Blom ’91
Donald Ralph Esposito, Jr. ’91
Todd Christopher Hart '88
Jennifer Ivar Ayer '86
Jonathan Thomas More Reckford '84
Lucia Veronica Halpern '85
Michael Joseph Carroll '79
Alan Stewart Murray '77
Thomas Francis Darden '76
Donald Thomas Hughston '75
Peter Adams Barnes '74

Morehead Truman Recipients

Danielle Maria Allen ’09
Claire Summers Young ’05
David Weber Angeles ’04
Monika Leigh Moore ’00
Melissa Coleman Roche ’98
Stacey Michelle Brandenburg ’96
Cynthia Renee Greenlee ’96
Jason Ralph Cox ’95
Garrett David Martin ’95
Susan Jennifer Lloyd ’94
Dacia Merle Sampson Toll ’94
Scott Block Wilkens ’93
Neil Alvin Riemann '88
Sandra Lynn Rierson '88
Janie Allison Sitton '88
Lucia Veronica Halpern '85
Allen Keith Robertson '85

Morehead Fulbright Fellowship Recipients

Alana McAllister Wilson ’08
John Keegan de Lancie ’08
Emily Elizabeth Vasquez '06
Khanh-Lien Huu Nguyen '06
Kindl Alia Shinn '03
Carolyn Edith Shook '03
Michal Osterweil '01
Margaret Leighton McNairy '00
Marie Christine Hermitte '99
Matthew Joseph Van Hoose '99
Daina Bray '98
Nakia Monique Elliott '98
Alison Christina Roxby '96
Titus Pelkey Bicknell '93
Kathryn Mary Yount '91
William Harrison Ulfelder II '90
Roderick Archibald Cameron '89
Jonas Michael Rolett '85
Melani Lynn McAlister '84
Kenneth Gaines Smith '84
John Dargan Watson, Jr. '77
James Allen Medford '67

Morehead Scholars have also been winners of Marshall, Churchill, Mitchell, Mellon, Woodrow Wilson, National Science Foundation, and many other fellowships.

Two Morehead Alumni have won MacArthur Fellowships ("Genius Awards"):

Franklin Taylor Branch '68
Richard Eimer Lenski '82