The Chatham Township Republican Committee awarded its first college scholarship award for $1,000 in 1988 to a deserving Chatham Township high school senior. The tradition continues to this day, with the amount increased to $2,000 in recent years. In 2005, the Committee named the scholarship after Charles R. Clark, a long time resident of Chatham Township and Chairman of the Committee at the time of his unexpected death in 2004. The Committee selects an outstanding High School of the Chathams senior who best meets the following criteria:

• Has an interest in pursuing a college major in history, political science or international studies
• Participates in community service
• Participates in extracurricular activities
• Maintains a high grade point average
• Demonstrates leadership

Each spring, guidance counselors in all the area high schools are asked to inform their students who reside in Chatham Township of the opportunity to apply for the scholarship by filling out a form that the guidance departments forward to the Chatham Township Republican County Committee. Each student that submits the form is also required to submit an essay related to a political subject of their choice. In order to be considered and selected as the recipient by the Committee, the candidates must meet the qualifications above and will be judged by the merit content of their essay. A subcommittee reads the anonymous applications, which are numbered for confidentiality, and recommends a recipient to the full committee for a vote. The scholarship award is presented at the winning student’s senior award ceremony prior to graduation. All high school seniors residing in Chatham Township are encouraged to apply.