The Ridley Scholarship Fund currently provides scholarships for African-American students admitted to the University of Virginia. The fund was named for the University's first African-American graduate, Dr. Walter N. Ridley in 1953. Since the fund's inception in 1987, the endowment has grown to over $3.1 million. The Ridley Fund is the product of the vision and generosity of the University's African-American alumni and friends.