Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

A Long and Unique Relationship

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance first made a charitable contribution to McPherson College about two decades back, but the relationship between the Concours and the college deepened when the latter was selected to be a recipient of newly established scholarships honoring 1961 Formula One World Champion and famed restorer Phil Hill.

Hill was a longtime supporter of the Pebble Beach Concours, and soon after his death in 2008, Concours Chairman Sandra Button and the Hill family worked with Pebble Beach Company and the Pebble Beach Company Foundation to establish the scholarships honoring his legacy.

“Phil loved great cars, and we wanted to find a way to support young enthusiasts dedicated to preserving and restoring those cars long into the future,” Button said.

Concours entrants and judges were told of the scholarships and there was a strong show of support. Even Concours sponsors stepped forward; for example, Bentley donated a car for auction during the 2009 Pebble Beach Automotive Week, when a more formal announcement of the scholarships was made.

McPherson College was among several schools considered by Pebble Beach as possible partners for these scholarships. Roger Morrison, a longtime Concours judge and former chair of the McPherson College Automotive Restoration Advisory Board, was among the first to encourage the partnership. Later, Derek Hill, Phil’s son, was also invited to visit campus and was impressed with what he saw.

“McPherson is about much more than classrooms and lectures,” Hill said. “The students are actively at work on a variety of cars and car-related projects—and they are eager to talk about them. The education is hands-on. My father would have loved it.”

The process of determining where and how the scholarships would be awarded took a little more than a year—and ultimately McPherson was one of two schools selected.

“We were looking for a program where students really gain the knowledge and skills needed to care for historic cars,” Button said. “We wanted a program that offered a solid introduction to our automotive history—and then went beyond that to offer the tools and training to maintain the world’s great cars. We wanted to be certain the students would be able to gain real experience working with great cars. And we found that in McPherson.”

The resulting partnership between McPherson College and Pebble Beach has been beneficial to students for more than a decade.

Additionally, the Pebble Beach Concours has partnered with McPherson College to offer scholarships honoring Jules “J.” and Sally Heumann, who were involved in leading the Concours for over three decades, as well as automotive journalist John Lamm.

Over the years, 23 McPherson College students have been inspired by the support of Pebble Beach and the experience afforded them to attend the Concours. Scholarship recipients not only attend the Concours and shadowed the judges, but have been part of panel discussions, prepared and presented cars for the field, and attended numerous additional events during the week. McPherson College’s relationship with Pebble Beach also serves as a model for other student experience trips.

Former scholarship recipients are now working as archivists, historians, restorers, preservationists, auction specialists, and collection technicians all over the country. Many have key roles with organizations or companies on the field at Pebble Beach. Thanks to this partnership, MC students and alumni are active participants and future leaders in the automotive endeavor.