The Dotty Griffith Endowed Scholarship in Journalism provides scholarships for journalism (or its successor) students at the University. The scholarship is sponsored by the Dallas Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier International, an organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, beverage and hospitality professions.

Ms. Griffith developed and taught a culinary journalism course for the Mayborn School of Journalism (2015-2020). As a founding member of the Dallas Chapter, Ms. Griffith was instrumental in the creation and growth of the chapter and its work. Her long career at The Dallas Morning News was committed to elevating food writing beyond the "women's pages and recipes" to the same journalistic standards as for other specialty reporting. Because of her work, readers in Dallas and beyond had more sophisticated knowledge of cuisines, dining trends, chefs and other culinary arts. Her passion for the highest standards of journalism, as well as for the art of food, made her one of the legends of food journalism. Her career also included non-food related communication positions, including Director of Communications of the ACLU of Texas, Executive Director of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association and Interim Marketing Director of the Dallas Arboretum.

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant for the Scholarship must meet the following criteria:

• Meet the minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the Mayborn School of Journalism (or its successor) in effect at the time of any award;
• Maintain full-time enrollment as established by the University, unless the student is nearing completion of their degree program and does not need full-time enrollment;
• Enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in journalism (or its successor) at the University; in the event no applicant meets this criterion, then the amount will be held for future awards;
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and at least a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all academic major courses or their equivalent should the GPA scale change;
• Recipients must be willing to attend local Les Dames d'Escoffier events in the metroplex;
• Be a resident of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma or New Mexico; and
• Submit an essay related to journalism or public relations aspects of lifestyle, entertainment or hospitality including the applicant's interest in writing about food, wine and hospitality. The committee will use evaluation of this essay, along with the established criteria in determining the scholarship recipient.