The William Hegarty Scholarship is awarded on a yearly basis to a Grand Valley State University Criminal Justice graduate student, working in law enforcement.  

The scholarship honors William Hegarty, who embraced higher education throughout his police career. Obtaining a degree while on the Oakland Police Department in California, Hegarty moved to Michigan State University for graduate studies. After completing graduate school, he joined the faculty at Michigan State. He left MSU to become the Director of Public Safety in Jackson, Michigan in 1972. In 1974 Chief Hegarty led the New Rochelle Police Department in New York until he came to Grand Rapids.  Hegarty was Chief of the Grand Rapids Police Department from 1982 to 1997 and taught as an adjunct in the School of Criminal Justice at Grand Valley from 1984 until 1997. Chief Hegarty had a special fondness for GVSU and his teaching legacy lives on. He donated funds to establish Hegarty Criminal Justice scholarship when he retired

Scholarship Recipient:

• 2021/22 - Hallie Ruegsegger
• 2020/21 - Shannon Bacon 
• 2013/14 - Sean P. Burns
• 2012/13 - Ross L. VandenBerg
• 2011/12 - Ross L. VandenBerg
• 2010/11 - Francisco F. Pena | Ross L. VandenBerg
• 2009/10 - Francisco F. Pena | Benjamin T. Reuschel