Late Alum’s Generosity to Benefit Future Drury Students

Future Drury High School students will benefit from a late alumnus' belief in a good education.

Albert Harvey Chenail, a lifelong Berkshire County resident and graduate of Drury High School and MCLA when it was known as North Adams State College, has left $400,000--nearly half of his $1.1 million estate-- to endow the Frederick L. Chenail and Jessie M. Chenail Scholarship Fund at Drury, in honor of his parents. The North Adams School Committee accepted the gift at their meeting Tuesday.

According to iberkshires.com, Chenail's will states "the total amount of such Fund shall be invested and reinvested by Drury High School and that the income from such Fund shall be rewarded annually as a scholarship to a student at Drury High School for the purpose of furthering his or her college or vocational school education." The gift requires the creation of a committee of the superintendent, Drury's principal and guidance director, and that the "award shall be made to a worthy student having financial need."

Chenail who passed away in April 2017 at the age of 96, was the last surviving member of his immediate family. His wife of 44 years, the former Rita Bergeron, died in 1997 and he outlived his seven brothers and sisters. He has several nieces and nephews, two of whom served as personal representatives of his estate.

Mayor Thomas Bernard said that he and School Superintendent Barbara Malkas have had some preliminary conversations about how to honor Chenail and his family, saying the bequest "needs to be honored and it needs to be celebrated."