About William

William Z. Lemnios was born in 1925. He emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1929, later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, and grew up in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He graduated from Newburyport High School in 1943, part of the first graduating class of the current high school building.

As the first in his family to attend college, William enrolled at MIT at age 17 to study Electrical Engineering. His studies were interrupted when he was called to serve in World War II in the U.S. Army’s 20th Armored Division, seeing combat from France to Germany to Austria.

After the war, William returned to MIT and received his S.B. in Electrical Engineering in 1949. He earned an M.S. in physics from the University of Illinois in 1951 and joined MIT Lincoln Laboratory in 1952, beginning a distinguished 41-year career in which he rose to Division Head of the Radar Division and led the Laboratory’s ballistic missile defense work.

His early work included the design and programming of the intercept function for the Cape Cod System and the Experimental SAGE Subsector, prototype systems for continental air defense, and analyses of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radars. From 1963 to 1969 he was associate leader and then leader of the Systems Analysis group, working on the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of ballistic missile penetration aids. From 1969 to 1993 he served as assistant head, associate head, and head of the Radar Division. He later consulted to the Division and served on the Independent Science and Engineering group advising the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. He also served on the Laboratory’s Steering Committee and mentored generations of young engineers, leaving a lasting mark on the nation’s security.

Among his honors is the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, conferred by the Secretary of the Army. He was a lifetime Senior Member of the IEEE, a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a member of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Sigma Xi.

The Scholarship was established in his memory by Zachary J. Lemnios and Stephanie B. Lemnios.

The Scholarship

The award is paid directly to the recipient’s college or university.

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Academic standing: Ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class, as certified by Newburyport High School’s guidance office.
2. Course of study: Enrollment in a four-year college or university, with demonstrated intent to pursue a course of study in physics, engineering, or a closely related field.
3. Leadership, drive to learn, and likely impact: Demonstrated leadership ability and a strong drive to learn, as shown through school activities, extracurriculars, community involvement, employment, or other relevant experience, together with an assessment of the applicant’s likelihood of making a meaningful difference in their field or community. This criterion is evidenced by a 1,000-word essay, which must be the applicant’s own original work, with an attestation signed by the applicant that the essay was not generated in whole or part by artificial intelligence tools, and two (2) letters of recommendation.

Preference: Among applicants who meet all three criteria above, preference shall be given to an applicant with either of the following:

• A first-generation college student, meaning that neither parent nor legal guardian has completed a college degree, as self-attested by the applicant.
• A student who has been admitted to and intends to enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

How to Apply

Application instructions and the deadline will be posted at Newburyport High School. Newburyport High School seniors should also watch for announcements from the Newburyport High School guidance office.

Applicants should complete a Newburyport High School General Application and submit it to the Newburyport High School Main Office along with the required 1,000-word essay and two letters of recommendation by 3:00 pm on the due date. Applications not containing all requirements, late, or incomplete will not be considered.

The award recipient is announced at the Newburyport Senior Scholarship Night usually held in late May.

Questions about the scholarship may be sent to wzlscholarship@gmail.com.

Past Scholars

Each year’s recipient will be recognized here, along with the college or university they will attend.