The Chicago Headline Club and the Chicago Headline Club Foundation each award a $5,000 scholarship to a journalism student in Illinois each year.
Applicants for the Brownlee Scholarship must be current undergraduate journalism students (no recent graduates) at an Illinois-based college. A committee of the Headline Club Foundation assesses candidates based on their previous experience, clips, cover letter and interest in pursuing a journalism career.
Candidates are asked to complete an application and include a cover letter, resume and at least three work samples. Direct questions to Scholarship Committee Chair Bob Rowley.
Applications are Closed. 2026 applications Open in February.
See past scholarship and internship grant recipients here.
About Les Brownlee
Brownlee’s journalism career began as a reporter for Ebony Magazine, and he later joined the Chicago Defender. In 1950, he was the first Black reporter to join the staff of the Chicago Daily News. Over the years, he also worked for several radio stations, including WBBM-AM, and television stations, including WLS-TV, where in 1975, he won an Emmy Award for editorial writing. He is noted for his sign-off: “Les Brownlee, WLS Eyewitness News.” After he retired from television, Brownlee joined the faculty of Columbia College Chicago, where he taught journalism full-time for more than 20 years and inspired countless students.