The Rockefeller Foundation awarded it's first
"trip to America" scholarship to an economist in
Austria in 1924.  Perhaps there were earlier
scholarships given to economists in Germany or some
other Continental country.

Among the Austrians, Hayek was awarded the first
scholarship, but declined it (he'd found out about
the award only after returning to Vienna from NY.)

Those who got Rockefeller's included Gottfried Haberler,
Oskar Morgenstern and Fritz Machlup.

Greg Ransom