Clark Davis Ivins Memorial Endowment
At twenty-four, many young people are studying, entering the workforce as graduates in their field, or starting their working lives with the opportunity to make a difference.
At just twenty-four, Private Clark Davis Ivins died of wounds received at the Battle of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea in 1942. His life may have been short but the part he played in the Battle of Milne Bay - a battle that was the first Japanese defeat on land in the Pacific War - is one that certainly made a difference to the lives of many Australians, both young and old, today.
On family trip to the Wall of Remembrance at the Australian War Memorial in 2014, David Akers had the idea to create a memorial prize to remember his Uncle Clark.
"We wanted to capture a well-known part of our family history, not only for my mother to remember her brother and what he gave for his country, but to also encourage other families to give, so that others might grow in knowledge," says David Akers.
David Akers and his family established the Clark Davis Ivins Memorial Endowment in 2015, which supports an annual $500 prize given each year to distinguished first-year security studies students. In addition to the prize, the endowment offers Clark Davis Ivins Memorial Travel Grants of $1,000. The travel grants are awarded annually to undergraduate students in the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs' Global Learning Program.
"The prize aims to inspire first year students in Security Studies to continue their studies in this area. We wanted the Clark Davis Ivins Memorial Travel Grants program to encourage young Australians to explore and learn about our region and the security challenges we face today."
Your support of the Endowment will help future generations of strategic leaders - whether they be military, civilian or academic - to study and explore Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. This will help pave the way for a safer and more cohesive region.
