Dalton Scholarship

By: Chuck Merlo – Chair, Dalton Scholarship Committee

The Air Force Public Affairs Association will be accepting applications for the Brig. Gen. H.J. Dalton Jr. Scholarship program from March 1 to May 31, 2025. All active, Reserve and Guard 3NXX or 35X members and Air Force civilians in a core public affairs occupational series or assigned to a public affairs office are eligible to apply. “We want to emphasize this program is not limited to just traditional public affairs members but also band members, Combat Camera and AV who are Air Force employees,” said Chuck Merlo, chairman of the Dalton Scholarship Committee.

The first career Public Affairs officer to make brigadier general and head SAF/PA, Jerry Dalton worked tirelessly throughout his military and civilian careers to promote the advancement of the public affairs profession.

General Dalton was well known for his commitment to mentoring and encouraging the professional development of Public Affairs personnel. He strongly promoted the value of PAs of taking advantage of educational opportunities provided by programs like Education With Industry, the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Air Force Short Course in Communications. He also advocated PAs achieving professional accreditation from organizations like the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

This is the fourth year of the program. It offers recipients up to $1,000 to fund not just college courses but also seminars, workshops, music lessons and courses provided by professional organizations (e.g., PRSA) specifically aimed at enhancing skills related to the PA career field. AFPAA encourages PAs to first maximize their use of Air Force tuition assistance before applying for a Dalton Scholarship. This provides more Dalton Scholarships to be available for professional development opportunities for which Air Force funding is not available.

Up to five $1,000 scholarships can be awarded each year. More scholarships may be awarded in a year depending on the funds required to meet the cost of selected applicants’ training and education. Payment will be made to the scholarship recipients upon successful completion of the approved course work. Recipients can apply for additional scholarships in successive years if they have successfully completed their previous course work.

The first career Public Affairs officer to make Brigadier General and head SAF/PA, Jerry Dalton worked tirelessly throughout both his military and civilian careers to promote the advancement of the Public Affairs profession.

Follow the links below to learn about the distinguished career of a true legend in the field of Public Affairs. In his Oral History, you’ll find numerous insights and sage advice on how to handle some of the many challenges PAs face.

General Dalton was well known for his commitment to mentoring and encouraging the professional development of Public Affairs personnel. He strongly promoted the value to PAs of taking advantage of the educational opportunities offered by programs like Education With Industry, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the Air Force Short Course in Communications, and of achieving professional accreditation from organizations like the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

General Dalton was elected national president of PRSA in 1990. For years, he served as a member of The Champions for Public Relations Student Society of America, an organization of current and retired professionals seeking to provide superior public relations education and training opportunities for the career field through scholarships and awards programs. He co-chaired the national PRSA Education Affairs Committee; chaired the Technology Task Force; and served as a member of the Commission for Public Relations Education.

General Dalton was the founding president of the PRSA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PRSA committed to the development of programs to advance PR research, education, and scholarships to benefit the advancement of the profession.

He was featured in the 2007 edition of "Legacies from Legends in Public Relations" published by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. His tips to new members of the public relations profession in that publication is worthwhile reading for all PAs.

In addition to earning two Distinguished Service Medals, General Dalton was named The Outstanding Public Information Officer in Government by the Aviation–Space Writers Association in 1974. Boston University honored him with its Distinguished Communicator Award in 1990, and he was inducted into the DINFOS Hall of Fame in 1992.

In 2002, he was the recipient of the AFPAA’s President Award, presented to leaders who developed pioneering programs and policies that impact Air Force Public Affairs. And in 2021, he entered the inaugural class of the Air Force Public Affairs Hall of Fame — the “Pioneer Class”.

General Dalton passed away on November 1, 2020.

AFPAA is proud to partner with General Dalton's family — his wife Carolyn, daughter Cindy, and sons Robert and Steven — as we work together to continue fostering his emphasis on education and professional development. Through the establishment of the Dalton Scholarship Program, we seek to honor General Dalton's legacy and help nurture the next generation of Public Affairs professionals, just like he did. We thank the members of AFPAA whose generous contributions in General Dalton's memory make the program possible.