The daughter and sons of Rarick W. and Dorothy B. Long announced their creation of the Long Family Scholarship for college-bound Fredericktown High School students, becoming the 42nd endowed scholarship administered by the FHS Alumni Association.
Rebecca Long Leakey, Harlan B. Long, and John C. Long, all FHS graduates, are establishing the scholarship to honor the memory and service of their parents to the Fredericktown community, with the hope that their legacy will be forever continued through the lives and work of the scholarship's recipients. The first of the scholarships will be awarded to a graduating FHS senior in 2026.
The Knox County Citizen Legacy
Rarick and Dorothy Long's primary legacy is their having strengthened, and fostered the unity of, the Fredericktown community through its weekly newspaper, The Knox County Citizen, of which Rarick was the owner and publisher for 35 years and of which Dorothy was always an integral partner. Rebecca, Harlan, and John all also contributed to that effort, from age 3 to adulthood. Many other members of the extended Long family also served at The Citizen.
Main Street Free Press Museum
Rarick, Rebecca, Harlan, and John extended the legacy by founding the Main Street Free Press Museum in 2000 in The Citizen's building, for which Dorothy secured listing on the National Register of Historic Places. For 25 years, the museum has fostered understanding of and support for freedom of the press under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, demonstrated the craft of letterpress printing, celebrated the institution of the community newspaper, and preserved the historic building. Rebecca, now of Evans City, Pa., Harlan, of Indianapolis, and John, of New York City, continue as the museum's trustees. Members of the extended Long family also contribute support.
Community Involvement
Rarick was an honored longtime member of the Fredericktown Lions Club; he, Dorothy, and the three siblings were active church members; and the latter participated in a wide range of school and community organizations and activities.
Journalism Excellence and Education
Rarick Long practiced journalism with its highest standards and, appropriate to the scholarship, encouraged Fredericktown High School students to do the same. Every school year, he provided full pages of The Knox County Citizen to the school newspaper, produced with the leadership of the FHS journalism teacher. Many alumni of those Citizen pages went on to careers as journalists, authors, and writing professors. John went on to a 40-year career in daily journalism, at The Columbus Dispatch, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., and The Wall Street Journal, and 15 years as a journalism professor.
Scholarship Preference
As Rarick wished, on his tombstone are carved the words "He told it like it was." In that spirit, in the knowledge that a democracy can function only if its owners, its citizens, are armed with the truth, the family hopes its scholarship will encourage FHS graduates to become truth-telling journalists — and therefore that preference would be given to students who think they might want to do so.
Legacy of Truth and Journalism
Rarick and Dorothy Long dedicated their lives to strengthening the Fredericktown community through The Knox County Citizen, fostering unity and truth-telling. Their legacy continues through the Main Street Free Press Museum and now through this scholarship, which encourages future generations to pursue careers in journalism and uphold the highest standards of truth and integrity.
Support the Long Family Scholarship
Those who knew Rarick and Dorothy Long — or who know Rebecca, Harlan, or John, or who support the mission of the museum — may wish to consider making a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship in Rarick and Dorothy's memory and to further the family's legacy and cause.
A check would be made payable to "FHS ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FUND"; with "Long Family Scholarship" noted on the memo line; and mailed to The Knox County Foundation, P.O. Box 309, Mount Vernon, OH 43050-0309.
Or to donate online, click on the "Donate" button on the FHS Alumni website at www.fredericktownalumni.org and be sure to note "Long Family Scholarship."