John Voelker of Ishpeming was a famous lawyer, county prosecutor, Michigan Supreme Court justice, but an even more famous author of books (such as Anatomy of a Murder) under the pen name Robert Traver.
His memory lives on under a Foundation he created.
The John D. Voelker Foundation Native American Scholarship was established to assist Native American students to pursue the dream of a legal education. Grants are made annually in an amount determined by the Foundation’s Board in light of the funds available, consistent with preserving the fund’s permanent endowment. The fund was established thorough contributions form members of the Foundation, who subscribed to limited editions of Laughing Whitefish, Trout Madness, and Traver on Fishing signed by the author when he established the Foundation. Annual grants have been $4,000.00 for the last several years, matched by tribal funds in an equal amount in most cases, under an arrangement between the Foundation and the Michigan Inter-Tribal Council. So far, the Foundation has assisted seven Voelker scholars.
Sources :
Anatomy of a Murder 50th Anniversary, Northern Michigan University website.