About the Fund
Rick Pearson, our dear brother, passed away January 14, 2017. This scholarship fund made to the P.A.D. International Foundation is to honor Rick's years of service and dedication to his beloved Phi Alpha Delta. The scholarship helps young (recent) P.A.D. alumni, students, or chapters in New Jersey receive legal and leadership training.

• Value: $500.00
  
• Use: P.A.D. Convention attendance expenses (travel, stay, or registration fees)
  
• Eligibility: Recent P.A.D. alumni, students, or chapters in New Jersey
  
• Namesake: Rick Pearson (Chase Chapter)
  
• Established By: Rick Pearson’s Family including his brother, Neil Pearson (Chase Chapter)
• Total Grants Awarded: 10

Apply
To apply, members must complete a brief application and submit a one-page statement, official school transcript, and current resume. Details can be found on the application.

Grant Application

About Rick Pearson
This fund was established in honor of our P.A.D. Brother Rick Pearson (Chase Chapter).

Brother Pearson joined P.A.D. on April 28, 1972. While in law school, Rick served as the reactivating Justice of P.A.D.’s Chase Chapter, District X Conclave Justice, President of the Law School Senate, law school delegate to the University Financial Advisory Board, Managing Editor of the State Bar Association’s Labor Law Newsletter, and member of the Honor Council. For his contributions, Brother Pearson was selected to serve as the commencement speaker to his class’s law school graduation. He was Chase Chapter’s delegate to the 1972 Convention where he served on the Rules & Resolutions Committee and the Nominating Committee. 

After graduation, he was appointed District XV Justice in late 1975 and, as a DJ was Co-Chairman of the Rules Committee in 1976 and Credential Committee in 1978. It was at the 1978 Convention in Cleveland that Rick was elected as an Associate Tribune.

At the 43rd Biennial Convention in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Brother Pearson was elected to the IEB as International Marshal. Subsequently, he served as International Historian, International Treasurer, International Secretary, International Advocate, International 2nd Vice Justice and International Vice Justice. At the 50th Biennial Convention in 1994, our brother was elected International Justice, thus becoming our 45th PAD Justice.

During his sixteen years of service on the IEB, Rick served on numerous committees, including Chair of the Endowment Fund Loan Committee, Finance Committee and Tom C. Clark Award Committee. He has also served on the Pre-Law Advisory Council, Convention Ad Journal, District Restructuring and Long Range Planning Committees as well as all Convention standing committees.

Professionally, Brother Pearson has served as legal consultant to the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, and Federal Hearing Examiner with the U.S. Civil Service Commission in New York. He went into private practice in 1978 and, in 1982, he organized his own “all PAD” law firm in Union, New Jersey, with an emphasis on litigation. Rick also served 10 years as a commissioner on the Elizabeth, New Jersey Board of Zoning Adjustment, including 4 years as its Chairman.

Aside from his “official” duties for P.A.D., Rick was involved in a variety of District activities. He attended more than 45 District Conferences as well as an uncounted number of initiations and chapter functions. In 2000, Brother Pearson served as Chair of the Nominating Committee at the Miami Beach Convention.

On August 7, 2010, Rick was inducted into P.A.D.’s Distinguished Service Chapter – the 21st member out of over 300,000 members to be so recognized.

Rick was one of our members that we could call upon and he would always be there for Phi Alpha Delta. For many P.A.D.s, Rick was their first contact with our Fraternity – and, for many, the reason they joined. Our members and chapters in the northeast United States had the benefit of his proximity and have benefited from his participation in a wide range of P.A.D. activities over the years – and we are all the richer for it.  Brother Rick will be missed.

Donate
The Phi Alpha Delta International Foundation is P.A.D.’s charitable entity and a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization. The opportunities offered because of The Foundation make a difference in the lives of students, P.A.D. alumni, and their communities. Thank you for your contribution.