At the WWC Board of Trustees fall 2011 meeting, President Sandy Pfeiffer announced that anonymous donors have established the Joel B. Adams, Jr. Sustainability Scholarship to honor the board chair. The scholarship is a tangible way to recognize Joel, who has been a dedicated leader at the College for almost 20 years and is the father of two Warren Wilson alumni.

“I have been involved in environmental issues since I was a teenager and am deeply honored that my friends want to make it possible for young people to experience some of the deep satisfaction that I have felt in this work,” Joel said. “I am truly humbled by this honor.”

Scholarship funds will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at Warren Wilson College to study Environmental Studies or a related field and who have made outstanding efforts in the field of sustainability.

This scholarship will create a lasting legacy for Warren Wilson students beyond the services already rendered to the college by the Adamsons. It was bequeathed by Larry Adamson, who was a part of the Warren Wilson faculty from 1960 through 1970, and Dean of Student Affairs for the last six years of his time at the College, and his late wife, Bunny, who passed away in 2008. Larry Adamson looks back at his years at Warren Wilson College fondly. “My years at the College were by far some of the most exciting and productive years of my working life. Bunny and I both felt they were the best years of our married life. We had two children when we arrived at the College and left with two more.”

The Larry and Bunny Adamson Scholarship will become effective with an initial gift from the estate. It will provide annual financial support for student tuition so that future generations will profit from the unique Warren Wilson College experience. The scholarship is awarded to a full-time undergraduate student enrolled or planning to enroll in the College with demonstrated financial need and a satisfactory academic record or promise of academic success. Adamson says neither he nor his children have the funds now to create a scholarship, but considered forming one though estate plans an ideal solution. For more information on donations to Warren Wilson College though estate planning, please look here.

Chris and Olga (Ollie) Ahrens were long-time volunteers at Warren Wilson College. In the 1980s, Chris led early field studies in the International Studies Development Program and then initiated an Appropriate Technology Program at the College. Ollie also worked with the International Studies Development Program and later volunteered in the math and social work departments. The Chris and Olga Ahrens Scholarship is awarded to a deserving student from Central America.

Dr. James M. Alexander, a long time member of the Warren Wilson College National Board of Visitors, established this scholarship in 1991 in memory of his late wife, Stella Frosst Alexander. It is intended for incoming students and may be provisionally awarded for four years, provided the student maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. A candidate must have a high academic standing at his or her high school; demonstrate evidence of a high moral character; have a good record in extra-curricular activities in church, school, and community; and demonstrate an interest in the welfare of others.

Although he graduated from Warren Wilson Junior College in 1960, Bijan Amini considershimself as a member of the class of 1959. He arrived at Warren Wilson in November 1957 andwas enrolled in the second quarter of the 1957 academic year. He completed his degreerequirement after the first quarter of 1960. He has always been grateful for the opportunity thatWarren Wilson gave him, both academically and financially, to pursue a college education in theUnited States. Additionally, his approach to his work assignments, while attending college andsubsequently while employed by DuPont, was influenced to a large extent by the experience hegained as a member of the work crews at Warren Wilson.

Bijan and Mary Amini established this scholarship in 2010 in order to help other students Achieve their educational goals. The scholarship is awarded to outstanding undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

In 1969, Cyrus and Marian Anderson moved to Swannanoa where he became chairman of the Department of Education and Psychology at Warren Wilson College, a position he held until his retirement in 1983. Marian was a vivacious and active member of the Warren Wilson Community. She participated in festivals, theatre productions, church activities, and hosted international students until her death in 1995. This scholarship, established in loving memory of their parents by Andy and Marian’s four children, is awarded to students who intend to teach in the public school system.

The Stevenette Gentry Anderson Scholarship was established in 2000 by Ms. Anderson in honor of her parents, Eleanor King Gentry and Starling Gentry, Jr. Her preferences for a recipient are: 1) a Business/Finance Major; 2) a Music Minor (Major if it is offered); 3) a resident of Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, or the Appalachian Region.

The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance tooutstanding undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College whohave a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have achieved satisfactory academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need.

“Much of the Southern Appalachians is as underdeveloped, when compared with the affluence of the rest of the nation, as the newly independent countries of Africa.”

Julius Duscha, 1960

Fifty years on, even after the focus of the War on Poverty, and the efforts of federal and state cooperation through the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Southern Appalachian region evinces the signs of a systemic poverty trap, driven by persistent lack of educational, socio-economic and infrastructure opportunities. Appalachian poverty rates are persistently more than 20% higher than the rest of the US, and nearly 1 in 4 households in Appalachia subsist below the Federal poverty line – making Southern Appalachia one of the main focal points of the problem of inequality that is threatening America and the world, today. 

What is the Appalachian Leadership Scholarship?

The Appalachian Leadership Scholarship is an endowment fund that supports disadvantaged and low-income students with demonstrated leadership potential to attend undergraduate studies at Warren Wilson College. 

The scholarship honors the original mission of Warren Wilson College to provide mountain youth from low-income or disadvantaged homes with rigorous academic and intellectual underpinning that is grounded in the values of hard work and community service. 

The scholarship focuses on high-potential students from the broader Appalachian region that includes mountain communities (as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission) in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland. 

The scholarship seeks to identify and inspire mountain scholars who evidence strength of character, personal integrity, and leadership potential. This will be shown through service or work experience that had positive impact on others, or through innovative or artistic endeavors, or socially-beneficial entrepreneurial activity.

Jesse, a 1994 graduate of Warren Wilson, and his wife and life partner Marga created this scholarship as a way to “pay it forward” to the next generation of community leaders.

Jesse grew up in a low-income environment in Western North Carolina, the child of a single mother with a health disability who despite her circumstances insisted on the value of seeking knowledge, creativity and adventure as basic principles of life. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend WWC, and found there a number of influential mentors who helped him develop the skills and tools for self-actualization. Jesse went on to serve in the U.S. Peace Corps in Romania, which launched a subsequent global career in impact finance and development, but more importantly, where he met and married Marga. 

Marga grew up in a working-class family in pre-revolutionary Romania. Similarly, she bootstrapped herself as a young mother to earn a living for her family, realize her potential as an emerging journalist, and become a successful social entrepreneur. Marga earned her own education as the first college graduate in her family. She has founded and led two high-impact non-profit organizations, in Romania and the US. The organizations have supported tens of thousands of immigrant, refugee and low-income women and their families to pursue their dreams by becoming change agents in their communities, starting up and growing social enterprises and businesses.

Marga and Jesse have worked with passion and determination throughout their careers, and feel incredibly fortunate to have had the support of incredible mentors, friends and communities at critical points in their journey. The importance of these people, in the right moments and roles, cannot be overstated. This is why they are establishing this scholarship – so that others coming from challenging personal backgrounds may also thrive and fully realize their potential. 

In 2004, Warren Wilson College received a grant for scholarships from the Russell Charitable Trust. Part of this grant was used to establish the Ernest and Frances Arnold Scholarship Fund in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Arnold, trustees of the foundation and friends of the college. The earnings from this fund go to assist a deserving student.

The Asheville Normal and Teachers College, which closed in 1944, had its origins in a Presbyterian missionary school founded in the 1880’s. By the 1920’s the ANTC and Associated Schools included the Asheville Farm School, which later became part of Warren Wilson College. The school operated under several names until it became the Asheville Normal in the 1930’s. In 1988, the ANTC Alumni Association resolved to fund a scholarship for an outstanding female student from the Appalachian region who was interested in pursuing teaching as a career. In 2001 the eligibility was expanded to include men and education majors from beyond the Appalachian region.

This scholarship was established by Ki Sub Joung ’56 and Myung Cho (Ha) Joung ’58; J. Keith and Minnie Park Joung; J. Kenneth Joung and Chen Wang; and Meerie Joung and Angel J. Torio in memory of Dr. Arthur M. Bannerman, the first President of Warren Wilson College. Dr. Bannerman was a member of the Warren Wilson community from 1928 – 1976, serving as President from 1942-1971. The award is given to a student who has completed his/her junior year standing with a grade point average of at least 3.3 or higher and is returning for the senior year. Recommendation and selection for the award is based on demonstrated leadership or leadership potential.

Dr. Arthur M. Bannerman was the first President of Warren Wilson College. Dr. Bannerman was a member of the Warren Wilson community from 1928-1976, serving as president from 1942-1971. Lucile Patton Bannerman was a descendant of the first European settlers in Western North Carolina, a life-long resident of the Swannanoa Valley and a graduate of the Asheville Normal and Teacher’s College. Interest earned from this endowment fund goes to help deserving students with demonstrated financial need receive an education at Warren Wilson College.

This scholarship was established by the Barkley family in memory of Mr. and Mrs. John Alexander Barkley, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Adolphus Wilson Barkley, and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Scott Barkley, all of Iredell County, North Carolina. Three Barkley brothers attended the Ashville Farm School: Harry ’24, Carl ’21 and George ’21, and they all credited their success in life to the Farm School. They grew up on the family farm in Iredell County, where there was no public school for them. Their sister went to Asheville Normal and Teachers College and recommended they all come to the Farm School. Harry Barkley later went on to Erskine College. He eventually came back to western NC and was director of the Presbyterian Home for Children. Carl went on to Berea College and graduated from Atlanta Dental College (now Emory University) in 1926. He practiced dentistry in Winston-Salem, NC until his retirement in 1985. George worked for the railroad for 44 years and in 1999 celebrated 69 years of teaching the same Sunday School Class. George died in August 2006 one month short of his 105th birthday.

The scholarship is awarded to a student from North Carolina with demonstrated financial need.

This scholarship was established by the Baxley Foundation to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their college expenses.

Recipients must major in Environmental Studies, be full-time, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and be citizens of the United States of America. Preference is given to women and minority students when awarding this scholarship.

In 1963, David Beebe became a member of the Warren Wilson College staff, working in the accounting and development offices until his retirement in 1988. He continued to volunteer as gift recording secretary until his second retirement in 2008. This scholarship, established in his honor by his cousin, Martha Conrad, is for deserving international students.

The Ralph Waldo Beeson and Orlean Bullard Beeson Scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated need for financial assistance, with preference given in the following order: 1) Foreign Missions in the field of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy and other professions. 2) Other full time Foreign Mission responsibilities and service. 3) Pastoral ministry with preference for those who serve in the Southeast or South. 4) Full time national Home Missions, with preference for the Southeast or South. 5) Full time Social service, with preference for Southeast or South. 6) Upper classmen who are in need of financial aid and who are outstanding Christians who clearly demonstrate their Christian faith and practice.

Initiated by the Warren Wilson College Black Student Union, the Board of Trustees approved the creation of this scholarship from the general endowment in the Fall of 2020. This endowed fund was created in memory of George Floyd and the work racial justice organizers did in the wake of his murder to recognize those who are leading the charge to change our College and greater community to better meet our social justice mission. Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all undergraduate, full-time, self-identified Black students, with preference given to students who demonstrate leadership qualities.

This scholarship was established in 2014 by friends of Richard Blomgren upon his retirement from Warren Wilson College, where he served for 18 years as Dean of Admission, Director of Marketing, and Vice President for Advancement. The scholarship is awarded to outstanding undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need.

The late Selma and Melvin Burns had been friends of Warren Wilson College since 1975. Though they had no children of their own, they would often open their home to Warren Wilson’s international students over college breaks. Their interest in international students is reflected in the guidelines for this scholarship fund which they established in 1985 for the benefit of a full-time student with demonstrated financial need and with preference given to foreign students.

Dr. Canon’s last full-time position was that of president of Warren Wilson College from 1988-1991. During his short tenure here, he was known and loved for his amiable, accessible, and unpretentious manner. He truly enjoyed being around the students and knew almost everyone on a first-name basis. After he retired from the presidency of the College, he remained on the staff as director of church relations until his death in 1994. Earnings from this fund are to go to a deserving student with demonstrated financial need.

Warren Wilson College first came to the attention of the Carnahan-Jackson Foundation through the Robert Boell family of Jamestown, NY. Mrs. Boell was a childhood friend of Arthur Bannerman, president of Warren Wilson College from 1942 (when it was known as Warren H. Wilson Junior College and Associated Schools) until 1971. Mrs. Boell was also a close friend of Mrs. Clyde Carnahan. Because of this friendship, the Carnahan family supported Warren Wilson College annually until Mrs. Carnahan died in 1973. In 1974 the Carnahan-Jackson Scholarship endowment was established to aid students at the College with demonstrated financial need.

The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance to astudent interested in philosophy and/or enrolled in an integrative specialties major as a first preference.  The scholarship should support undergraduate students enrolled in Warren WilsonCollege in their sophomore – senior years.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduate students enrolled in Warren Wilson College, first preference being a student interested in philosophy and/or enrolled in an integrative specialties major. The scholarship should support deserving undergraduate students (2.0 or higher) enrolled in Warren Wilson College in their sophomore – senior years. For each $25,000 endowed in the principal, additional students should be considered to share the award.

The William H. Christy ‘79 Scholarship Fund was established by friends and family of Bill Christy. Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time deserving undergraduate students with a preference given to those who have demonstrated need.

After receiving his degree from Warren Wilson, Bill received a MAT English degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, where he met his wife Dr. Deirdre Schoen Christy. After a short stint in teaching, he graduated with a JD from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida. He practiced law in Durham for five years in a small firm before moving back to Western North Carolina and joined Dick Stone to establish the law firm of Stone & Christy. Bill retired in 2021 and continues in an “of counsel” role, handling limited matters. Bill also has a long history of service to Warren Wilson and the community. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Warren Wilson College in 2010 and was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2016 and served in that role until 2020. In 2022, he was again asked to serve the WWC community as its Interim President. In July of 2021, Bill was also appointed to the Black Mountain Town Council to fill an unexpired term and won election to a full term in 2022.

The Honorable James McClure Clarke (lovingly known as Jamie), father of the late Ambrose Clarke, was associated with Warren Wilson College for almost thirty years as an employee (he was assistant to the president 1969-1981), as a trustee (he served twice, from 1962-69 and 1984-94) and as a good friend. Jamie, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, and his wife, Elspie, raised their eight children at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, an historic and beautiful area a few miles southeast of Asheville. One of their children was Ambrose Cramer “Bobo” Clarke, who died tragically in a swimming accident in 1975. The Ambrose Cramer Clarke Scholarship Fund was established in memory of “Bobo” to benefit deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Mr. James Lloyd Cody established the Helen S. Cody Scholarship through his estate as a memorial to his mother, Helen Stansell Cody. Helen was a 1940 graduate of the Asheville Normal and Teacher’s College, a sister school of the Asheville Farm School, which later became Warren Wilson College. She taught at Swannanoa Elementary and was an active member of Swannanoa First Baptist Church. It was Mr. Cody’s wish that a scholarship be awarded annually to a student in need of financial assistance to honor his mother.

Jim’s sisters Linda and Shelia, who have followed in their mother’s footsteps to become educators, are both very happy that their mother was honored in this way. “My brother died at 60 and he left a gift to honor Mother through his will, because she gave her whole life,” explained Linda. Linda further explained that her brother was “just following suit with what our family does.” “Mother taught us to ‘give back’ to the community and to give of our time and resources.”

Jim, Linda and Sheila’s father died in 1964, when the girls were still in high school, and their mother, did her best to raise the three children alone and was able to put them through college. “Although she was very busy and often stretched financially, she was always conscious of giving back to the community,” explained Sheila. “My mother never complained. She made my wedding dress, and loved to make quilts and crochet and did all kinds of handiwork. She was a hardworking, loving person, an amazing financial manager and also a very giving person. We were very blessed.”

Linda further explained that, as a teacher, her mother always believed in the goodness of others and would always would give the child the benefit of the doubt. “Mother loved her students so much. She volunteered regularly at the school after she retired,” Sheila recounted. Inside her grade book, she had the newspaper announcement of Owen High School’s graduation and circled her former second grade students’ names when they graduated,” Sheila described. “My mother led by example. It was evident in her friendships, her career and her church service. There was no criticism about who were and what we were doing. She did not reprimand us and she did not complain. My mother expected us to give our best as she did her best.”

Helen Cody also maintained friendships with women she knew from Asheville Normal Teachers College for her entire life. She loved the ANTC ladies and enjoyed working with them and continued to recieve letters from her friends, even in the nursing home. This is why Jim made the choice he did. He created the scholarship to honor mother and her love and involvement with ANTC. We feel honored that our brother would choose to do this,” Sheila explained. “It is wonderful.”

“I believe Warren Wilson College is preparing me for life in a way that few liberal arts colleges can. Because my parents are farmers and do not make a lot of money, I could not attend college without financial aid. I am honored to be a recipient of the Helen S. Cody Endowed Scholarship, and grateful to James L. Cody for establishing it.”
-Emmet Fisher, Senior, majoring in Environmental Science

Through his estate plans, Jim Cody honored his mother’s legacy as an educator and as a person who believed in the importance of giving back to one’s community. Generations of Warren Wilson students will continue that legacy. You too can create a legacy by including Warren Wilson in your estate plans. For more information on bequests and other types of deferred gifts, please contact the advancement office at 866.992.6957.

“Our Goal Is For You To Succeed”
Joe Daprano ’86 and several of his classmates have successfully headed up an effort to endow a scholarship in honor of Don and Vicki Collins and Dean Kahl. The Collins/Kahl Future Scientists Scholarship is available to students studying science and needing financial aid.

“This is such an honor,” Vicki says, as Dean and her husband, Don, nod in agreement.“I want to express that the success of our graduates has been the real reward. The best part has definitely been the students, and seeing what they do,” Vicki says.

“It’s been a dream job,” Dean says. “I like coming to work. I like the students. I like the people I work with. The students are creative and from that arises great challenges. It’s just been so much fun.”

“We have learned so much from the students,” Don says. A student comes to us and says, ‘I’m interested in whatever….’ This allows us to get into the literature and learn about the topic and new techniques.

”Vicki continues, “And where else can you have an explosion, which is semi-controlled?”

With almost 120 years of combined service to the College, Dean, Don and Vicki have provided a strong foundation for the chemistry and physics programs, as well as grown and fostered undergraduate research at the College. Over the past 15 years Warren Wilson students have won more NC Academy of Science awards for their research papers than students at any other institution in the state. This is in large part due to the diligence of these professors. At many schools research opportunities are only available for certain top performing students. Warren Wilson’s science curriculum is unique in that a student-initiated research project is required of all students. Dean, Don and Vicki each explained that they have always had a fair amount of freedom and the chance to be creative in their classes and in the lab. That freedom has benefited students.

“Many students come in and are afraid of the sciences; our first priority is chemistry I,” Vicki explains. “If we don’t do a good job there, we have turned them off for life.” Don says he has been having a lot of fun with the class Earth, Light, and Sky and, of course, the Physics Photo of the Week. “I love seeing students get interested in the world around them,” Don says. Dean, Vicki and Don express their gratitude to Houston Witherspoon, Hugh Verner, Roger McGuire, Hal Ferguson, John and Edith Solomon, the Beattie Foundation and so many other friends of the College for supporting the sciences.

The Collins-Kahl team has all kinds of stories from the old Morse days when they took turns as building manager. At one point they didn’t have toilet stalls, so Vicki had students sew curtains out of “this wild fabric.” The famed Elvis Lounge began in Dean’s running days, when he brought back a large Elvis drawing from a cross country meet in Cherokee and used it to block light in the lab. Over the years, graduate after graduate sent more items, growing and diversifying the Chemistry Department’s collection of Elvis memorabilia.

Although Vicki, Don and Dean planned to be here only a couple of years, the students, the freedom to be creative in their labs and classrooms, the Swannanoa Valley and the core values of the College held them here. It is certainly a better place for all their hard work and enthusiasm.

With over 90 percent of Warren Wilson students receiving institutional assistance, scholarships are essential to our students and our College. They help Warren Wilson College attract and retain students of high academic caliber and personal merit, regardless of their financial situation, and help realize student dreams. Endowed scholarships provide perpetual, permanent funds that continue to grow and provide a stable stream of revenue above those generated from student tuition and annual giving campaigns.

An endowed scholarship at Warren Wilson College requires a minimum of $25,000 in total funds. Once endowed, the College invests the principal for growth and allocates earnings of about five percent each year to qualifying students, with increasingly more scholarship dollars awarded each year thereafter as the endowed fund grows. All Warren Wilson students needing financial aid, with preference given to those studying science, are eligible to apply for the Collins/Kahl Future Scientists Scholarship.

For more information or to make a gift, call Janet Doyle at (828)771-3756 or email her at jdoyle@warren-wilson.edu. If you would like to make a gift to help grow the Collins/Kahl Future Scientists Scholarship, you may do so in one of the following ways.

Ways to Give:

• Online: Click here to make a single gift or set up a monthly recurring gift using your credit card.

• By Mail: Make your check payable to Warren Wilson College, and note “Collins/Kahl Future Scientists Scholarship” on your check’s memo line. Send your gift to:

Office of Advancement
Collins/Kahl Future Scientists Scholarship
Warren Wilson College
P.O. Box 9000  CPO 6376
Asheville, NC 28815-9000

• In Person: Stop by the Office of Advancement for a visit. We’re located on the upper level of Orr Cottage, and we welcome you always!

We hope you will consider joining your classmates and making a gift in honor of Dean, Don, and Vicki, who have helped so many students to make their way in this world in the sciences. Remember, “A day without chemistry (or physics!) is like a day without sunshine!”

The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduates enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college.

Mrs. Sarah Darnall learned about Warren Wilson through the mother of former College President Ben Holden, who was a dear friend. She was here during the 1970s and 1980s. In her will, she left a portion of her estate to Warren Wilson College in the form of a loan and scholarship endowment. The John Palmer Darnall and Sara Ernst Darnall Scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated need for financial assistance.

This scholarship fund was established at both Montreat College and at Warren Wilson College in 1979 by Alfred and Conyers Pfaff to honor their dear friend, Dr. C. Grier Davis. Dr. Davis was the senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Asheville for many years, and his dedication to young Christian men and women was exemplary during his lifetime. The earnings from this fund go toward helping a deserving student with demonstrated financial need.

Katie Dean was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she met the Wilks sisters. These ladies were friends of Warren Wilson College and especially with the long-time registrar of the school. It was through them that Mrs. Dean came to know and believe in the mission of the College. As far as we know, Mrs. Dean never visited the campus. She left a gift to the college through her will and the college endowed a scholarship in her memory. The earnings from this endowment go to help deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Britta Joanna Dedrick was a 1993 Graduate of Warren-Wilson College with a major in Integrative Studies and Intercultural Studies. While at WWC she was able to apply the skills of her major by her participation in service projects in Georgia and Argentina. In Georgia, she worked with “Open Door” in service to the homeless and poor. In Argentina she worked on a farm co-op dedicated to organic and community farming. In her farewell letter to WWC she wrote: “Warren Wilson has shown me the value of experiential learning, and has set me on the path of uniting experiential learning and academic study.” She continues: “all of these areas…work, service, academics, off campus community…all will bless me as I leave here.” Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time deserving undergraduate students with a preference given to students of color who have financial need.

Samuel H. DeVries worked and taught at Warren Wilson College for his entire working years and gave of his knowledge and expertise even after his retirement. Mrs. DeVries served Warren Wilson in important, though less obvious, ways. Always a model of gentle hospitality, Mrs. DeVries volunteered as hostess in the school dining room. When Mr. DeVries died in 1991, Mrs. DeVries established a scholarship in his memory that is for students who need financial assistance. The College named this the Samuel H. and Evelyn DeVries Scholarship to honor Mrs. DeVries, as well.

Despite the fact that Dorland-Bell School closed over 50 years ago and its campus buildings were sold to local businessmen, the Dorland-Bell Alumni Association continues to hold annual meetings at the Dorland Memorial Presbyterian Church in Hot Springs. At their 1989 reunion, the association voted to establish an endowed scholarship fund to honor their school and aid present-day students at Warren Wilson College. The earnings from this fund go to deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa Aga Khan created and funded the first ever full tuition, room and board scholarship for a student at Warren Wilson College. The purpose of the scholarship is to support students pursuing – or planning to pursue – a degree in Environmental Studies or Conservation Biology. The Aga Khan family visited the College in 2019 to connect with the Land Innovation work on campus and to determine opportunities for future partnerships.

This scholarship provides recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students who are enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College to study Environmental Studies or a related field. First preference is given to students who are majoring in or plan to major in Environmental Studies. Second preference is given to students studying in any program with a focus towards serving issues of sustainability. This scholarship was established in 2010 by a gift from the Charles and Betti Saunders Foundation. Recipients are selected by the Admission Scholarship Committee through a competitive process.

This scholarship was established by Mary and Mark Edwards, parents of Sarah E. Edwards ’16, to recognize the important role that Warren Wilson’s faculty in the Sociology and Anthropology Department played in Sarah’s life while attending the College. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate student majoring in sociology and/or anthropology who has demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Letter from Sarah’s parents, Mark and Mary Edwards, May 2016: Sarah has never been an easy person to buy a gift for because she is not interested in material things. When she was in the 8th grade she asked that we stop buying things for her because what she was interested in doing in life would not lead to material wealth.

Following her graduation from high school she took a gap year and traveled to Costa Rica, Ecuador, South Africa, India, China and Cambodia learning about the challenges of these regionsand helping the underserved in these countries. When researching Colleges, she selected Warren Wilson as she strongly believed in the School’s Philosophy.

Over the course of her 4 years at Warren Wilson she has been able to forge very close relationships with faculty who have acted as mentors supporting and encouraging her. The extent of that support is something we recognized when she shared her senior letter with us.

We thought recognizing the Sociology/ Anthropology department with an endowed $25,000 scholarship is a unique gift for a person who doesn’t place a lot of importance on material things and will help her “pay it forward” to future students of Warren Wilson.

Louis Eubanks established The Louis Eubanks Environmental Studies Honors Program Scholarship to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students. The scholarship was initiated to support undergraduate students with honors-level achievement in Environmental Studies with additional consideration for those students interested in pursuing advanced degrees. The Eubanks family has long been associated with The Asheville Farm School and Warren Wilson College, and Louis continues to admire and support Warren Wilson’s unique educational model with its emphasis on environmental sustainability.

This scholarship was established under the Will of Robert G. Eubanks of Marshville, NC to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need. First preference shall be for student who are natives of the State of North Carolina..

The William C. Faulds Endowment was established in 1985 through a generous gift from John and Julia Park of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in memory of their dear friend and pastor, Rev. William Faulds, who was the first Chair of the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees. The Endowment was initially used to provide the College community with guest speakers in the field of religion and Christian values, with the hope of “expanding the understanding of the relationship of the Christian faith to humanity’s upward progress.” In 2011 members of the donor’s family generously agreed to expand the scope and use of this endowment to include support for international student scholarships. The William C. Faulds International Scholarship is awarded to full-time undergraduate international students who have achieved satisfactory academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need. Recipients are selected by the Vice President of Admission.

This scholarship was established in 1994 by Mr. Howell Ferguson, past chair of the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees, to honor his parents, Chester and Louise Ferguson. The earnings from the endowment are to go to deserving students with demonstrated financial need in the following priority: from east Tennessee; from the Tallahassee, FL area; from the Tampa Bay, FL area; or from northwest Georgia.

The Robert Alanson Forbes Endowed Scholarship Fund was established by Misses Nina and Norma Forbes in memory of their father. Their long friendship with Warren Wilson College began through their membership at the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church, and their interest in international students was formed through Norma’s activities with the international Girl Scouts. It is their desire that preference for this scholarship be given to an international student with demonstrated financial need.

Dr. Anna Clyde Fraker graduated from Warren Wilson College (class of 1953). She went on to Furman University, where she received a BS in Chemistry. From there she went to NC State University, where she was the first woman to earn an MS in Engineering (Metallurgical Engineering) and the first woman to earn a PhD in Engineering (Ceramic Engineering).

Her professional career included study and research at NC State and in Germany and work for the National Institute for Standards and Technology. She was an advocate for other scientists, especially women and minorities. She published more than 50 professional articles, produced numerous technical reports, and edited two books. She was an acknowledged leader in the field of biomaterials and was a founding member of the Society for Biomaterials. She received the US Dept. of Commerce Bronze Medal in 1984 and was named Fellow of the American Society for Metals, ASM International, in 1993.

Dr. Fraker is retired and remains interested in education. She established this scholarship in 2009 in memory of her parents and brother. Recipients are chosen on the basis of need and merit.

This scholarship was established in July 1984 through the generosity of the Mission Committee of the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sixty percent of the interest earned from this fund is to provide support for a deserving student with demonstrated financial need. The other forty percent of the interest earned is returned to the fund to build up the principle.

This scholarship was established in 2001 by the members of the French Broad River Garden Club in Asheville, NC. The earnings from this fund provide a scholarship for “an outstanding continuing student with an interest in plants, greenhouses, gardening or pollination and to be selected by the Chairman of the Environmental Studies Department.”

This scholarship was established by the Franklin Foundation of Naples, Florida to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need. First preference shall be for student who are natives of the State of Georgia.

Philip Garrou was a descendent of Waldensians, a Christian community who emigrated from Sardinia in Europe to the United States in the late 1800’s, settling in Western North Carolina and founding the town of Valdese. Within years of immigrating, 18 men from Valdese attended the Asheville Farm School. This predecessor of Warren Wilson College appealed to the Waldensians because it provided the opportunity to work their way through school and because of its ties to the Presbyterian Church. After graduating from the Farm School, these men led commendable lives as leaders of industry, community, and educational institutions. Throughout his life, Mr. Garrou exemplified the values of Valdese’s founders. He graduated from Davidson College and returned home to work at the local hosiery mill, where he became Vice President. He was involved in the Waldensian Presbyterian Church and farmed land at his home until his death in 2008. In his will Mr. Garrou made a bequest to Warren Wilson College “in honor of the young Waldensian men who had the opportunity to attend Warren Wilson.” A portion of the bequest established this scholarship for students with financial need.

This scholarship was established in memory of Rebecca Jane Glanville, a 2000 graduate of Warren Wilson College. Becca was a social work major with a passionate commitment to helping troubled and disregarded individuals in our society and around the world. The Rebecca Glanville Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a female senior in high school who is expected to graduate with a 3.0 GPA or better, and who has, in the judgment of the Admission Committee, a demonstrated interest in helping others in need, preferably one whose intended major will allow her to continue humanitarian service in her professional life.

Joseph and Julia Goodwin became friends of Warren Wilson College in the early 1950’s after visiting the campus. This was during the presidency of Arthur Bannerman. This scholarship was originally set up as a loan fund through the will of Mr. Goodwin in 1984.  The loan fund gradually evolved into a scholarship fund as allowed in Mr. Goodwin’s will. According to the terms of the will, the earnings from this fund, if not used for loans, are to be used as the Trustees of the College deem fit. It was decided that this scholarship be given to students with need.

Louis P. Guigou was involved with the Asheville Farm School (which eventually became Warren Wilson College) in its early years. He was a graduate of the school in the early 1900’s and went on to finish his education in higher institutions. He then worked under the Home Mission Board in Arizona and returned here to serve as principal and acting superintendent of the school from 1916-1919. Mrs. Florence Guigou Gwyn of North Wilkesboro, NC, established this endowed scholarship in 1995 in memory of her father and in celebration of Warren Wilson College’s Centennial Campaign. Earnings from this fund are awarded to a deserving student with demonstrated financial need.

Laile Hampton came to Warren Wilson College when it was The Asheville Farm School in 1936 at the age of 13. He graduated in 1940. Laile served as President of the Alumni Board and an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees of Warren Wilson College from 1979-1981. He helped WWC receive its first radio communication equipment in 1977. He also spearheaded a campaign to refurbish the bell tower and purchase new chimes. He and his wife, Helen Anest Hampton (Asheville Normal and Teacher’s College, class of 1942), established the Hampton-Newcombe Scholarship in response to a challenge grant from the Charlotte Newcombe Foundation. The earnings from this endowed scholarship go to deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

The Helena ’55 and Fred Hanna Scholarship was established by Helena, her children Steve andCelia, and four grandchildren in memory of Fred and in honor of Helena and her family’s long history with Warren Wilson College. Helena and Fred met at Warren Wilson College in 1954 and have remained stalwart stewards of the College ever since. This scholarship shall be awarded to worthy students of the Appalachian region where possible.

Deborah Bailey has been a longstanding friend of the College and also served on the Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2009, becoming vice-chair of the Board in 2008. The Harambee Scholarship was created to honor of Deborah Bailey’s many years of fine service to the College and also her commitment to international students at Warren Wilson.

In Swahili “harambee” means “working together in unity.” The purpose of this scholarship is to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding international undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

The initial principal of this fund is $25,000 has been received by Warren Wilson College through pledges from Ross Arnold and Richard Blomgren. Additional contributions have been added to this fund and may be made by interested persons or organizations. If you are interested in contributing please email advancement@warren-wilson.edu or call 866.992.6957.

Warren Wilson College is forever grateful Deborah’s dedication to the College and especially for her enthusiasm for and generous support of international students at Warren Wilson College.

Quote from Tabaitha:

“It is just wonderful, how much Deborah Bailey means in my life. One thing that I really admire about her is that she does not only care about my academics, she cares about me as a whole person and also about my family. She is very goal oriented and I admire that a lot about her. And she is very understanding. She is more of a mother than a sponsor to me. She is awesome and I really thank God for her, to say the least.”

The Elizabeth A. Harkey Scholarship was established in 1997 by the Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. This church has had a long and fruitful relationship with Warren Wilson College. Mrs. Harkey is a former member of Warren Wilson’s Church Relations Council and Board of Visitors. This scholarship was part of the church’s Linking God’s Children Campaign, which raised $3.5 million for the education of local and international students. Preference is given to students of Malawi, Mexico and the Seigle Avenue and Dalton Village areas in Charlotte.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have achieved satisfactory academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need.  First preference shall be given to those who have demonstrated a strong commitment to service prior to or during their enrollment at Warren Wilson College.

Thomas Hertner ’71 created this scholarship to provide recognition and financial assistance to deserving undergraduate students who plan to major in or are currently majoring in science, business, or economics. Hertner fondly remembers his time on the Forestry Crew and his relationships with Ben Holden, Sam DeVries, Harry Gray, and his independent study with John Showalter during his time at the College.

The Hettrick family honors Rev. Richard “Dick” Hettrick’s life of service and support of the mission of Warren Wilson College, who volunteered his service to the College’s Parent Council and the Presbyterian Church Relations Council and Board of Visitors. His children Beth ‘84,  Jonathan ‘88, and grandson Christopher ‘10 attended Warren Wilson.

His wife and family wish to honor his life of service and his support of the mission of Warren Wilson College by establishing the Richard Hettrick Scholarship for students with financial need. Applicants for the scholarship are asked to write a short essay reflecting on how their continued education might enable them to meet the community needs they will encounter as they seek to answer their own life’s calling.

Elizabeth (“Betty”) Holden is the wife of the late Reuben A. (“Ben”) Holden, who was President of Warren Wilson College from 1971-1986. She stays involved with the College by supporting the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival and attending special events. She also likes to travel. In 1997 she established an endowed scholarship, the earnings of which go toward assisting a student with demonstrated financial need.

John M. Holden, a California drama professor, was the brother of the late Ben Holden, president of the college from 1971 to 1986. Before his death in 1995, John made a provision in his will to set up a trust at the Wells Fargo Bank in California. The earnings from this trust are designated for international students attending Warren Wilson College, with a preference for international students whose fathers are deceased.

Reuben Andrus Holden IV (lovingly known as “Ben”) was Secretary of Yale University and had a distinguished career in the field of higher education when he left the Ivy League to become President of Warren Wilson College in 1971, a position he held until his retirement in 1986. To honor Ben and his wife Betty’s years of faithful and loving service to the College, a secret campaign was launched in 1985 to establish an endowed scholarship to honor them at the time of their retirement.

Over $400,000 was raised during that campaign, and the earnings from the Reuben A. and Elizabeth Walker Holden Endowed Scholarship Fund now aid deserving Warren Wilson College students with demonstrated financial need.

The Willie Sue Toms Hudgins Scholarship was established in 1996 by Mrs. Hudgins, a 1939 graduate of the Asheville Teachers College, in honor of her parents. Mrs. Hudgins, a resident of Hobbsville, North Carolina, taught in the Gates County public schools for 40 years. Awards are based on financial need.

Frances Pledger Hulme grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, in the Smoky Mountain region he celebrated in his first two books of poetry, Come Up the Valley (Rutgers University Press) and Mountain Measure (Appalachian Consortium Press). A Phi Beta Kappa, Fulbright Professor at New Asia College, Hong Kong, and visiting Professor of English Literature at the University of York, England, he taught at Warren Wilson College for fourteen years after his retirement. The Francis Pledger Hulme Scholarship was made possible by the generosity of his sister, Patricia Myrer, long time literary agent at McIntosh & Otis, and her husband, Anton Myrer, the novelist. It is awarded to a rising sophomore majoring in English.

This scholarship was established by the Classes of 1986 and 1963 to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate international students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses. While support has come primarily from these two classes, alumni from other classes have also contributed to this scholarship.

Gifts and pledges towards establishing this scholarship were solicited for the Class of 1986 25^th reunion in 2011.  The Class of 1963 joined the effort to endow this scholarship as part of their 50th reunion in 2013.

This scholarship was created by Julie Stewart ’93, through her company Intora, Inc. Louise Solomon (Dean of Student Life 1986-2004) is credited as the one who helped and inspired Julie to “leave the nest!” After graduation, Julie wanted to stay on campus and find a job at Warren Wilson but it was Loise who told her, “No. Go out there and make a life for yourself – make some money – and then you can give back to WWC.” This stuck with Julie now she’s in a place to make that happen. The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance to deserving undergraduate students with consideration given to self-identified Black, Latinx, International, and Trans and Gender Diverse students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College.

Frederic C. Iseman, along with his daughter, Mrs. Signe I. Smale, established the Margery Anderson Iseman Scholarship Endowment Fund in 1986 in memory of their late wife and mother. Margery Anderson Iseman’s 24-year career as an educator in Bradford Woods, Pennsylvania, was characterized by diligence, concern for students’ individual needs and potential, and innovative programs. The scholarship is awarded annually to deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Funded by anonymous donors, this scholarship provides financial assistance to students majoring in or studying music at Warren Wilson College.

Recognizing that jazz education plays a critical role in the music curriculum, this scholarship  provides an opportunity for individuals who need assistance to prepare them to contribute to the future of music in Western North Carolina, with preference and priority being a demonstrated interest and some skill in jazz performance with potential to be versatile, fearless, cross-genre musicians. Preference will also be given to students of color, supporting diversity within the College community.

Ruby Killian grew up in Blacksburg, SC and attended the Asheville Normal School for two years. Both the Asheville Normal School for girls and the Asheville Farm School for boys (which evolved into Warren Wilson College) were established by Presbyterian missionaries to serve the young people of the Southern Appalachian mountains. Ruby left the “Normal” in 1930 and went on to pursue a career in nursing. Her daughter-in-law became a member of the Warren Wilson College Church Relations Council. Because of these two ties with Warren Wilson College, Ruby Killian Jenkins came to know and love this campus. She established this scholarship 1993, in Ruby’s words, as “unrestricted, as I hope in this way you can get the greatest good from it.”

Ruby was the fourth child of eight children born to James G. and Margaret R. Killian. After her mother’s death from tuberculosis in 1921, her father remarried and had three more children by his second wife. Life was a struggle for such a large family whose finances had been drained by the prolonged illness of her mother. But, she went on to graduate with honors from high school and was encouraged by her teachers to attend a college. Offered assistance by the school and her older sister, she enrolled in Asheville Normal College.

Ruby became a certified teacher upon her graduation, but wanted a different career. Nursing was her real love. She graduated from Charlotte Presbyterian Hospital Nursing Program in 1933, and eventually became the head surgical nurse at St. Peter’s Hospital in downtown Charlotte. In 1934 she met her future husband, John Edward Jenkins, when he was admitted due to work related injuries. They were married in 1936.

After the birth of Edward in 1937, Ruby gave up hospital nursing, yet retained her nursing certificate through continuing education to allow her to volunteer as a Registered Nurse. Her life was caring for family, neighbors and friends. She stayed with the sick and injured in the hospital and provided nursing attention to anyone in the neighborhood suffering from anything from dog bites to terminal cancer. Calls from frightened parents or spouses sent her to the hospital in the middle of the night to talk with doctors and offer skilled nursing care. In the Charlotte community, Ruby helped establish the Charlotte Crisis Ministry, an out-reach program providing basic services for the needy. The Crisis Ministry was a joint effort of Charlotte churches.
But she wasn’t all about volunteering and helping. She was a very spirited tennis and basketball player and insisted her children learn to shoot hoops and develop a decent forehand. A very athletic woman, she could out-run most in her 70’s.

Ruby loved to entertain for new brides, for baby showers and especially for her huge extended family. Christmas Eve often meant forty-plus relatives for dinner and gift exchanges. There was always extra food available for family members who dropped by for a visit.

But, even with a full and rewarding life, Ruby never forgot how hard it was to be poor and want to get ahead in the world. The answer for her was education. She had received help from a college and family; her son had been educated by his family with the understanding he would pay for his younger brother’s schooling. Each understood the need for financial aid to help the bright and ambitious get ahead, and set out to establish scholarships at the schools they attended to give others a good start in life. They contributed to scholarships at Charlotte Presbyterian, N.C. State University School of Engineering and Warren Wilson College.

Ruby died September 12, 1999 from her type one diabetes. Her husband died February 21, 2009 from a stroke. Before his death, John established the Hunter Jenkins Foundation to provide continuing support of the scholarships for future students in need.

-A narrative by John Edward Jenkins, Jr. and Margaret J. Hunter

“Doc” Jensen was a popular and demanding teacher whose commitment and gift for organization landed him a number of administrative positions at the Farm School. During his lengthy tenure at Warren Wilson, he not only was a teacher, but also was a member of the Executive Committee, Academic Dean (1942 – 1973), Director of the Work Program and Supervisor of the Landscaping Crew.

The Jensen Humanities building was built in his honor during the 90th Anniversary Campaign in 1974. It was under the leadership of President Arthur Bannerman and Dean Henry Jensen that the triad of Academics, Work and Service came into being at Warren Wilson College.

This scholarship is to be awarded annually with preference to a student or students of demonstrated financial need. The student or students should be of good academic and social standing. This scholarship was established in gratitude by the classes of 1953, 1954, and 1955.

Ida (Andersson) Johnson was born in Sweden November 12, 1884; she graduated from nursing school with a goal of working as a pediatric nurse in Ethiopia at a clinic partially funded by her parents. Then she met John Carl Johnson, a Lutheran minister, and they married August 6, 1909 and sailed to New York for their honeymoon.

They liked the USA and eventually settled in Northern Wisconsin, where they raised a family of ten children on a large dairy farm. Both John and Ida were great humanitarians and supported many charitable and educational efforts throughout the world. They had a love for humanity and always shared what they had with people less fortunate. Their youngest daughter, Deborah, sought a medical career and practiced internal medicine and medical oncology for 50 years. Deborah established the Ida Johnson Scholarship Fund in 1988 in honor of her mother, who left a legacy of five generations, including over 100 descendents at the time of her death May 28, 1990 at the age of 105.5 years.

Dr. F. Deborah Johnson became acquainted with Warren Wilson College through the Reverend Paul Watermulder, a member of our Board of Church Visitors, in 1987. She became a trustee (1988-1991) because she felt that the College’s triad approach to a holistic education through academics, work and service was one that she and her husband, Dr. Charles Eid, wanted to support. The earnings of this fund go to help a deserving student with demonstrated financial need who shows academic achievement, character and motivation.

Homer Jones worked for the Board of National Missions during the 1960’s and early 1970’s and came to know and love Warren Wilson College during those years. He and his wife, Helen, worked diligently for over thirty years to tell the “Warren Wilson Story” to people and foundations all over the country who they felt might be interested in supporting our Triad approach of education through academics, work and service. For years they brought groups of people to the campus every fall and spring to spend time and to meet students, staff and faculty. They also hosted receptions and dinners in their hometown of Princeton, NJ and the surrounding area. Their many friends and family members honored them by establishing the Homer and Helen Jones Scholarship Fund. The earnings from this fund help deserving students with demonstrated financial need and will, in perpetuity, be a tribute to a couple who worked diligently to assure the College’s survival.

Christine Fields Jorgensen graduated from the Asheville Normal and Teachers College (a sister school to Warren Wilson at the time) in 1932, and she said it was her salvation. Her mother had died when she was small, and she and her sister were raised by her grandparents in Oklahoma, where she was born. She began her teaching career in North Carolina but spent most of her 32 years teaching in theMinneapolis city schools. She established this scholarship in 2009. It is her wish that the earnings from this endowment be awarded based upon need. Preference is given to a female student, but a male student may also receive this scholarship.

The Ki Sub Joung ’56 and Myung Cho (Ha) Joung ’58 Scholarship Fund supports a senior studying the biological or natural sciences at Warren Wilson College, an institution the couple considered foundational to launching their science-based careers in America. After Warren Wilson, Myung went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and her master’s from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, eventually working as a pharmacist at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Ki went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College, a master’s degree from Lehigh University, and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison in engineering. He also received an MBA from UW-Milwaukee. He began his industry career at Allis-Chalmers Corporation as a research engineer in 1967, retiring as a senior vice president of Svedala in 1999.

Although their paths did not overlap at Warren Wilson, Ki and Myung both shared its values, especially the importance of education and work-study scholarship opportunities. Both had worked hard in their early years to earn their places at Warren Wilson.  During her high school years in South Korea, Myung had a reputation for being a highly intelligent leader among her peers, a talented orator, and an independent and driven student. Ki walked five miles every morning to attend school and studied late into the night by the light of an oil lamp. Although his childhood was interrupted by World War II, the Korean War, and the death of his father when Ki was nine years old, he overcame the challenges of a humble background — often going hungry — to build a new life for his family in America.

Both Ki and Myung remained deeply appreciative of Presbyterian Church USA’s initial support of their undergraduate studies at WWC, and grateful for the opportunity to meet other students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Ki was also particularly grateful for the generous mentorship of WWC President Dr. Arthur Bannerman. Ki and Myung each spent summers with host families in Pennsylvania — where they first met in 1957.

Prior to Ki’s passing in February 2020, his family established this scholarship to support the next generation of students at WWC, with continued deep gratitude to the college for providing them a solid educational foundation and welcoming them to America. As a marathon runner in his forties, Ki valued the importance of training, goal-setting, endurance, and long-term perspective in his own life, also instilling those values in his three children and five grandchildren. It is the family’s hope that scholarship recipients will emulate Ki and Myung’s work ethic, determination, and spirit of endurance as they run their own marathons.

Dr. Robert P. and Jo Anne Keener were both public school music teachers, and together they moved often before landing in Swannanoa. Dr. Keener became the choral director of Warren Wilson College in 1964 and served as the chair of the Department of Music—“actually, its only full-time person,” he says. The Keeners came to the College community at a time when enrollment was around 200 students, no one had cars, and faculty and staff took on parental roles with the young minds on campus. In this manner, as both a musician and a mentor, Dr. Keener, along with Jo Anne, touched the lives of many Warren Wilson students.

The Keeners’ impact on community, however, stretched beyond the Warren Wilson campus. Dr. Keener was also the founder of the Asheville Choral Society and its director from 1977 to 2000. Warren Wilson provided both rehearsal and performance space for the Choral Society, with most of their concerts held in Kittredge Theatre. Through the Asheville Choral Society, Dr. Keener brought singers from several cities and towns throughout Western North Carolina together on campus, and provided the Warren Wilson and larger Asheville communities the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate chorus music. The chorus, which concentrated on performing choral literature from all stylistic periods, was invited to perform with the Asheville and North Carolina symphonies, as well as at festivals such as Asheville’s Bele Chere and Charleston’s Piccolo Spoleto and with both national and international tours. During his career, Dr. Keener also served as coordinator of the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival and music director for the Montreat Conference Center.

“A choral conductor,” Dr. Keener once described, “must inspire; must pull out of people what they don’t realize they can do so the music can reach heights of beauty that inspire performers and listeners alike.” Dr. Keener, along with his wife, certainly inspired.

To pay tribute to the song and service this couple provided Warren Wilson College and the larger community, friends began an effort to endow a scholarship in their names. With over 90 percent of Warren Wilson students receiving institutional assistance, scholarships are essential to our students and our College. They help Warren Wilson College attract and retain students of high academic caliber and personal merit, regardless of their financial situation, and help realize student dreams. When scholarships are endowed, they become perpetual, permanent funds that continue to grow and provide a stable stream of revenue above those generated from student tuition and annual giving campaigns.

An endowed scholarship at Warren Wilson College requires a minimum of $25,000 in total funds. Once endowed, the College invests the principal for growth and allocates earnings of about five percent each year to qualifying students; approximately $1,250 will be awarded the first year, and increasingly more scholarship dollars will be awarded each year thereafter. All Warren Wilson students needing financial aid will be eligible to apply for the Robert P. and Jo Anne Keener Scholarship Fund. We hope you will consider making a gift to this scholarship.

If you would like to make a gift to help the Robert P. and Jo Anne Keener Scholarship Fund reach and exceed the required $25,000 minimum for endowment, you may do so in one of the following ways:

• Online: Click here to make a single or monthly recurring gift using your credit card. Please designate your gift as “Other” and note Robert P. and Jo Anne Keener Scholarship” in the designation specification box.

• By Mail: Make your check payable to Warren Wilson College and note “Robert P.  and Jo Anne Keener Scholarship Fund” on your check’s memo line. Send your gift to:

Office of Advancement
Attn: Robert P. and Jo Anne Keener Scholarship
Warren Wilson College
P.O. Box 9000  CPO 6376
Asheville, NC 28815-9000

• In Person: Stop by the Office of Advancement for a visit. We’re located on the upper level of Orr Cottage, and we welcome you always!

Miss Helen Kittredge worked for much of her life in the field of foreign missions of the United Presbyterian Church. When she retired and moved to nearby Tryon, NC, Warren Wilson College became one of her interests. It was her deep love for this college that inspired the building of the Kittredge Community Arts Center. The Helen Kittredge Memorial Scholarship was established in 1997 through the bequest of the late Robert E. Wallenborn, a close friend of Miss Kittredge. Mr. Wallenborn’s will stipulates that “the conditions of awarding such scholarship shall be determined by the governing body of (Warren Wilson College).”

Dr. William G. Klein taught sociology and history at Warren Wilson College from 1954 until his retirement in 1972. He organized and coached the first soccer team, and in 1954 he initiated the Indian archaeological excavation on campus, with the cooperation of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Klein’s beloved wife, Elizabeth, died in 1970. At that time he established an award in sociology and anthropology in her honor to go “to a junior student, majoring in sociology or anthropology, who has done good work in this curriculum, and whose activities on the campus and in the larger community reflect to a high degree a religious concern for human dignity, good will, and understanding among people of diverse backgrounds – one of the meaningful purposes of education and life at Warren Wilson College.”

The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses. The donors create this scholarship in order to help other students achieve their educational goals.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduates enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have achieved satisfactory academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need.

Bernhard Laursen immigrated to Boston, MA from Haderslev, Denmark in the 1920’s. Bernhard painted houses for a living, though he had been trained as a farm manager in both Denmark and Germany. When the Great Depression hit and he found himself out of a job, he learned of an opening for a supervisor of a student paint crew and a gymnastics teacher (he was a proficient gymnast) at the Asheville Farm School (which evolved into Warren Wilson College). He came to the Farm School in 1931 and within several years became Farm Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 1957. His wife Kathrine became the school’s dietitian. With the help of a student crew, she planned and prepared meals for the entire student body and some staff using food primarily from the College farm. Bernhard Laursen retired in 1957 due to poor health, but he was at the farm almost every day to help his son, Ernst, who succeeded him as Farm Manager and who retired in 1996. “Fessor,” as Bernhard was affectionately called, died in 1972. At that time a scholarship fund was established in his memory. When Mrs. Laursen died in 1987, the name of the fund was changed to also memorialize her. This scholarship is awarded based on need and character.

The initial principal of this fund has been received by Warren Wilson College from Roger D. Kline ’62 and Lalah Payne Kline ’63, who create this scholarship in honor of Ernst R. Laursen’49, so that students forevermore will be mindful of his devotion and tireless efforts on behalf of Warren Wilson College, and in honor of his friendship.  Ernst, named a Distinguished Alumnus of Warren Wilson College in 1985, and inducted into the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012, came to the campus as an infant, was Assistant Farm Manager in 1956 and 1957 and succeeded his father as Farm Manager in 1957, retaining that post until his retirement in 1997. Over the years, Ernst served as coach of basketball and gymnastics and as Work Program Director, among many other activities at the College. Additional contributions may be made by interested persons or organizations.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to full-time undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have achieved satisfactory academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need.  Preference shall be given to students who major in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture, who intend to pursue a career in agriculture, and who serve or have served on the Farm Crew.

When he established this scholarship in 2016, Mr. Leavell stated: “I am establishing this scholarship, the Joseph Loring Leavell Scholarship, to assist a young person in achieving their personal dreams and educational goals.  I first learned about the Warren Wilson College while attending the Swannanoa Gathering in 2009.  It was here I learned about the values and ethics of the college, its Triad of Academics, Work and Service.  A college highly regarded for cultivating personal integrity, responsibility and accountability in its students are values I want to support.” The scholarship is awarded to students with financial need.

The Reverend Clarence “Bill” Lecrone was the senior pastor at the Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chatham, New Jersey for more than 40 years. He also served for many years as a faithful and loving member of the Warren Wilson College Board of Church Visitors. His wife, Mary, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, was an accomplished soprano soloist in the church choir and tireless volunteer in her community. In 1979, when Mr. Lecrone retired from the ministry, the members of his congregation established an endowed scholarship to honor him and Mary. The earnings from this fund go to deserving students at Warren Wilson College with demonstrated financial need.

Dr. Thomas B. Lee taught at Warren Wilson College from 1970-1974 as an Instructor and Assistant Professor of History. He was later Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at St. John’s University in New York, before returning to Taiwan to establish a long and fruitful career at Tamkang University. After serving as Dean of the College of International Studies, and Director and Professor of the Graduate Institute of American Studies, Dr. Lee retired from academia in 2006. Through this scholarship, Dr. Lee expresses his gratitude to Warren Wilson College and especially former President Reuben “Ben” Holden, whose commitment to cross-cultural exchange resulted in a lifelong friendship. He sincerely hopes that future generations may learn from the same vibrant and nurturing community that warmly welcomed him and his family many decades ago. Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time deserving undergraduate students with a preference for international students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 who have demonstrated need.

Bill Lee, one of Charlotte, NC’s visionary leaders, was the chief executive of Duke Energy Company. He was an active member of the Myers Park Presbyterian Church, serving as a ninth-grade Sunday school teacher, a deacon and an elder. He was the co-chair of the church’s “Linking God’s Children” campaign which raised $3.5 million for the education of local and international students. This endowed scholarship was established 1996 in his memory by the mission committee of the church. Preference is given to students of Malawi, Mexico and the Seigle Avenue and Dalton Village areas in Charlotte.

A native of Germany, Karla Longree left that country in 1933 on a temporary visa to be a guest lecturer and researcher at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Professor Longree retired to Highland Farms Retirement Community in Black Mountain and came to admire Warren Wilson through her association with a variety of friends of the College. The Longree Scholarship was established in 1996 through her will. The Trustees of the College gave this fund endowed status in 1997. Earnings from this fund are designated for deserving students who demonstrate financial need.

Sheila Johnston ’72 credits Warren Wilson College with expanding her worldview. She grew up in rural North Carolina and would not have been able to attend Warren Wilson without scholarship support. She established this scholarship to give back to support other students in attaining opportunities like she had as a result of her time at the College. With this scholarship, she wants to honor the memory of her husband, Joe Loring, as well as those who made her time at Warren Wilson possible, and to create opportunities for future Owls.

Bruce McBratney was one of the first trustees of Warren Wilson after it became a four-year college. He served for twenty years (1969-89) and was chairman from 1975-81. During his tenure on the board, Warren Wilson grew from a small junior college totally dependent on the Presbyterian Church for funding to a highly respected four-year liberal arts institution. After his retirement from the board, Mr. McBratney continued his active interest in the College. Following his death in 2003 his wife, Audrey, established the Bruce and Audrey McBratney Endowed Scholarship in memory of her husband. The earnings from this endowment benefit deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Mr. L. M. (Mickey) McConnell worked at Warren Wilson College from 1975-82 as a consultant in the development office. His greatest joy and satisfaction, however, came from his volunteer work as the College’s baseball coach. The Mickey and Alice McConnell Scholarship was established in their memory in 1993 by their son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Marilyn McConnell. The earnings from this fund go to assist a student of exceptional character; who otherwise would not be able to attend Warren Wilson College or college at all; who will take maximum advantage of the opportunity afforded by the scholarship (i.e., hard working, etc.). In the words of Mike McConnell, “My father and mother loved Warren Wilson College and were nurtured by the Warren Wilson community and by their involvement with that community. Marilyn and I are pleased to be able to give a little in return.”

Christina H. Maccubbin was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She immigrated to the United States in 1946 and became a US citizen shortly thereafter. In 1961 she married The Rev. Malcolm D. Maccubbin, who at that time was pastor of two Presbyterian churches near Westerly, RI. In 1982, the Maccubbins came to Warren Wilson College when Malcolm became Assistant to the President for Church Relations, a position he held until 1989. Shortly before her death, Christina expressed a desire to establish a scholarship fund that would enable and encourage already enrolled students to remain at Warren Wilson College. When Malcolm died in 2008, his name was added to the scholarship. The recipient of the scholarship is to have completed at least one semester at Warren Wilson College in good standing.

The late Virginia McIntosh Korevec first heard about Warren Wilson College when she was in high school in the 1920’s, because her church in Michigan sent mission funds to what was then known as the Asheville Farm School. Her first actual visit to the College was in 1986, when she sat in on some classes and also saw the work program in action. She became an advocate for the school that she had heard about and supported so many decades before. In 1993 she decided that a fitting memorial to her late brother, Donald James McIntosh, would be to establish a scholarship in his memory. The earnings from this fund go annually to support a deserving student(s) majoring in mathematics, science or religion who has demonstrated financial need.

George McMillan was a retired entrepreneur who lived in Hendersonville, NC at the time of his death in 2000. Mr. McMillan’s granddaughter, Lisa Bland McMillan, graduated from Warren Wilson College in 1988 with a degree in Biology. She went on to become a veterinarian. Mr. McMillan was very impressed with her education at Warren Wilson and decided to establish an endowed scholarship fund in 1999. The earnings from this fund assist a Christian student with demonstrated financial need.

Bernice Westbrook Marshall had been orphaned at an early age. Subsequently, she was sent to the Asheville Home School (part of the Asheville Normal and Teachers College) and spent four happy years there. Mrs. Marshall had always been grateful to the people who had taken her in as an orphan and had made her education possible. She demonstrated her gratitude by establishing an endowed scholarship fund at WWC in 1973 to help financially needy students from North Carolina who would not otherwise obtain a college education. Originally, the fund was named the Feagan Memorial Scholarship in memory of her grandmother, Alice, and mother, Dora. However, she changed the name to the Carl and Bernice Marshall Scholarship at the time of her late husband’s death.

The John M. Matthews, Sr. Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Mr. Matthews by his family. Mr. Matthews was the father of Jeanne Matthews-Sommer, a religion professor at Warren Wilson College. The scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated financial need.

This scholarship was established in 1994 by Mr. Howell Ferguson, former chair of the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees, and his wife, Ms. Sharon Maxwell, to honor Sharon’s parents, James and Claudia Maxwell. The earnings from the endowment are to go to a deserving student with demonstrated financial need in the following priority: from east Tennessee; from the Tallahassee, FL area; from the Tampa Bay, FL area; or from northwest Georgia.

The Mayne Educational Fund was the dream of a boy who struggled for his own education and resolved in so doing that, if he ever could, he would help other young people along the same paths. Dr. Earl Mayne founded The Mayne Educational Fund in 1944. Mr. Clayton Griswold, a Presbyterian minister and administrator of the fund, became friends with Arthur Bannerman, the president of Warren Wilson College, in the early 1960’s. As a result, the Fund began contributing to the College in support of international students. That support continued on an annual basis until 1994, when the Mayne Educational Fund was dissolved. At that time, the Griswold family decided that the remaining capital in the fund should be transferred to Warren Wilson College to establish the Earl H. Mayne Scholarships for International Students. Today the earnings from this fund support international or students of color  in good academic standing with financial need. First preference shall be given to Native Americans and African Americans. It is the intent of the Mayne Griswold Bartlett family that the Scholarship will help move us toward a society where no race is considered supreme, and people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

This scholarship was established by Mr. Carl E. Merris to “honor the memory of Mary Blevans Merris and to extend indefinitely the influence of her inspiring life.” Mrs. Merris was born in 1858 on a small farm in Cass County, Missouri and lived to be 87. She loved books and reached out for their stimulating companionship. She was kind and gentle and understanding. In her life she quietly reflected the presence of Christ. This scholarship is awarded to a female in her second year whose life reflects the values exemplified by Mrs. Merris, and who has demonstrated scholastic ability in her first year

As a student in Malaysia, Charlie Goh Miri ’63 received a scholarship offer which made it possible for him to attend Warren Wilson College. It was a life-changing opportunity for Miri, and he wished to help make the same possibility available to those needing financial aid to study at Warren Wilson. Created through his estate, this quasi-endowed scholarship provides recognition and financial assistance to deserving undergraduates, with a preference for international students.

Established through the Estate of Eurie Loughridge, this scholarship is named after her family farm, Hayes L. Mont, and provides unrestricted support to the College and its students. Loughridge served as a Teacher and Registrar at the Asheville Farm School and Teacher at Dorland Bell from 1930-1937.

Richard Edwin Morton (Ric) was the husband of 42 years of Warren Wilson College President Lynn Morton. He passed away from cancer in June 2021. Ric was a dedicated supporter of Warren Wilson College and his wife Lynn’s presidency, and he enjoyed attending campus events and interacting with faculty, staff, students, and college supporters. An avid cyclist and nationally ranked adventure racer, he would have been pleased to help fund the education of a student with financial need, particularly those with an interest in his passions of cycling and adventure racing/outdoor sports. Friends of the College established this scholarship in his memory.

This scholarship fund was established in 1988 by Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Neese, who came to love Warren Wilson College when their daughter, Mary Ann (Class of 1980), was a student here. The earnings from this fund go to help deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Since 1981, the Newcombe Foundation has provided Newcombe Scholarships for students at selected institutions of higher education that are related to the Presbyterian Church (USA). These scholarships are based on need.

At age 5, Lara Nguyen, MFA was asked to draw a self-portrait of what she wanted to be when she grew up. She imagined her future self in a beret, holding a painting palette and donning a curly mustache. Everyday, she chose to live a life in the arts. This path brought her to Warren Wilson College in 2012 where she became chair of the art department and taught courses from First Year Seminar to Senior Project until her untimely death in 2023. She also co-owned Stone Cloud Studio with her husband Todd Frahm and was ever engaged in the community through volunteerism and by seeking public art opportunities locally, regionally and nationally. Todd and Lara have 2 children: Atticus and Moon. Preference for this scholarship shall be given to students majoring or planning to major in Art and who demonstrate dedication to their art.

Frederick Ohler served the College community for nearly four decades (1958-1995). He touched and transformed the lives of many students, faculty and staff, giving generously of both his time and resources. The College has established the Ohler Service Scholarship to honor Ohler in perpetuity and ensure that his spirit of giving continues to be shared with Wilson students.

Ohler interned at Warren Wilson while attending Yale Divinity School, and in 1958, after finishing his degree, he was asked to return to the College. Serving as a teacher, chaplain and counselor, Ohler became heavily involved with many of the College’s major initiatives, including the progression of Warren Wilson from a junior college to a four-year college and the incorporation of service in our College Triad. He served on the administrative council and various other committees where his opinion was sought and respected. In the early ’60s, Ohler played an instrumental role in the construction of the current Chapel. He imagined it, helped design it, assisted in supervising student labor on it, and worked with project managers to ensure the project was completed as intended. Once built, he took meticulous care of the building, often making repairs himself.

Ohler was extraordinarily committed to the College and provided longstanding service to the community as a whole. He was a dedicated family man, raising two daughters with his wife Beverly, and a loyal leader on campus. When Ohler considered returning to school for a PhD, Doc Jensen told him “we need you here more than we need you to have that degree.” So he stayed and later completed post-grad work in Chapel Hill during his vacations.

What many people do not know is that Ohler was asked twice to become College President and three times to be College Dean, but knowing himself, he politely refused, saying he was in the right place. The prestige of position was never important to him – he served where he knew his talents matched the jobs that needed to be done both at the College and in the larger community.

Reverend Ohler also published a book with Westminster John Knox Press titled “BETTER THAN NICE and Other Unconventional Prayers” in 1989; it was highly reviewed. Another book written by Frederick was published posthumously by his wife, “Peppermint Christmas/Chocolate Easter”, a biography centered around his parents’ ice cream and candy store where he grew up. He was also an accomplished violinist who played in the pit for all the Warren Wilson Theater musical productions in his tenure and retirement and was also the principal violin in the Asheville Symphony for 18 years. He often played for musical events in the College Chapel.

In 2010, the College community decided to formally recognize Ohler’s extraordinary commitment to the College with the Ohler Spiritual Center, which includes the College Chapel, Ransom Fellowship Hall, and the Christian Education Building. The Ohler Service Scholarship Fund was also established to further honor Ohler’s admirable generosity.

Fred Ohler was a much-beloved member of the Warren Wilson College faculty and staff for 38 years. He served as chairman of the religion and philosophy department, chaplain of the College, and pastor of the Warren Wilson College Presbyterian Church. This fund was initially established by friends and family as a memorial to Fred following his death in January 2004. In 2010 the fund was expanded through the gifts of alumni and friends to provide a service-based scholarship to a worthy student in addition to the annual award.The Fred Ohler Service Award is granted annually to a graduating senior who has performed exemplary service during the student’s time at Warren Wilson College. The recipient is selected by the Office of Service-Learning, and the recipient receives a cash award to be used as the recipient chooses.

The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.  The scholarship has been named in honor of the family of Carolyn Osborne Poplett ’49; her sisters: Virginia OsborneWeaver ’39 and Sarah Louise Osborne Gaughan ’42, who both attended the Dorland Bell School for Girls and her son, James Sumner Poplett ’81 who graduated from Warren Wilson College.The scholarship also seeks to recognize the important role Warren Wilson staff members play in educating, mentoring and inspiring students.

In memory of the Osborne Family, and in dedication to its current and future students, Carolyn Osborne Poplett established the Osborne/Poplett Family Scholarship at Warren Wilson College in June of 2014. The earnings of this fund support deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

Carolyn Osborne Poplett was born in Evanston, Illinois. Her family then moved to the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, where she spent most of her youth. Being a vivacious, confident, bright and witty young woman, Carolyn secured a number of scholarships during her school years. Attending Warren Wilson Junior College taught her both the time management skills and strong work ethic she would need to work part-time at the University of Dubuque while earning her dual Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and English.

Carolyn’s passion for social service and civic engagement has manifested itself over a lifetime of philanthropy, mental health advocacy and volunteer leadership at a number of organizations in her community. She has served on the boards of Oak Park, Illinois’ Friends of the Library, the Infant Welfare Society, the Senior Citizens’ Center (where she was also secretary) and the Family Service/Mental Health Center of Oak Park/River Forest (where she was also president). Recently, she was honored by Thrive Counseling Center of Oak Park, IL, for over 50 years of service by receiving the inaugural “Spirit of Thrive Award” at this successful family service agency. During those 50 years, Carolyn rose in leadership from volunteer to vice president of the Midwest Regional Council of Family Service Agencies and eventually served on the national board.

Carolyn’s devotion to her community did not stop with her mental health work. She held leadership positions with the Nineteenth Century Club, the Economy Shop, the Infant Welfare Society, the Senior Citizens’ Center, Warren Wilson College’s alumni association (where she was Vice President) and the American Opera Society of Chicago (where she was president and started their newsletter that remains in distribution today). Carolyn and her late husband, Ray Poplett, also served as co-chairs of the village Community Design Commission.

In addition to being volunteer leader, widow, mother and grandmother, Carolyn is a published author and historian. She authored two books, History of the 19th Century Club and The Gentle Force, about the women’s suffrage movement in Illinois.

With the Osborne/Poplett Family Scholarship, Carolyn wishes to pay tribute to the many Osbornes and Popletts who are alumni of Warren Wilson College, including:

Virginia Osborne Weaver, Oldest Osborne child, attended the Dorland Bell School for Girls, class of ’39. She married William D. Weaver and had two children, Audrey and Leslie. She later attended Berea College, where some of her artwork is still on display.

Robert P. Osborne attended the Asheville Farm School, class of ’42. Served as a navigator for the US Air Force. Bob later attended and ran track at UNC Chapel Hill and Washburn College in Kansas, then earned a Master’s degree from Northwestern University in IL. He served as IRS agent and had 6 children.

Sarah Louise Osborne Gaughan, Dorland Bell School for Girls. Married Pat Gaughan.

Carolyn Osborne Poplett attended Warren Wilson Junior College, class of ’47 – High School and class of ’49 – College. Played forward and guard on the girls basketball team.

Mary Elizabeth Osborne, Graduated from Berea College

George H. Osborne attended Warren Wilson Junior College, class of ’54. George served as an engineer for the Bureau of Public Roads.

William Osborne was a sergeant in the US Marine Corps. Buried in the VA cemetery in Black Mountain, NC.

Harold Osborne was a carpenter and is buried in Chicago.

James Sumner Poplett attended Warren Wilson College, class of ’81.

Tommy and Cordelia Osborne both died in infancy.

Several other family members attended other institutions of higher education, including William Osborne, who served in the Marine Corps, Harold Osborne, who joined the Carpenters’ Union and George Osborne also attended NC State and the South Dakota School of Mines where he received his degree in engineering.
Of the ten Osborne siblings, only Carolyn Osborne Poplett remains living today. Aware of the powerful and lasting influence that Warren Wilson College had on her family story, Carolyn derives great joy from remembering the many ways its unique mission and beautiful home in the Appalachian Mountains shaped her family’s life and success. All family members who attended Warren Wilson College or its previous schools contributed financially as they were able. Warren Wilson College acknowledges the long history of the Osborne and Poplett families at the school, and is especially grateful for this opportunity to remember them in perpetuity with an endowed family scholarship. Osborne/Poplett scholars will connect the campus community with the memory of this great family and honor them with their future work for many years to come.

David C. Page and Joy C. Charlton, parents of Jamie Page ’13, together with their family and friends, created the Jamie Page Scholarship in beloved memory and in tribute to Jamie’s life.    Jamie passed away tragically in 2016 in a whitewater kayaking accident in Colorado. His passion for life, warm heart, and willingness to serve others were inspirations to all who knew him. Jamie was an Outdoor Leadership major with a minor in Environmental Studies. He was also an avid paddler and keen competitor on the Warren Wilson Paddling Team. To recognize Jamie’s interests, this scholarship shall be given to students majoring in Outdoor Leadership and/or members of the Warren Wilson College Paddling Team.

Established by local Warren Wilson friends Nancy and Tom Maher through their family foundation, the Pisgah Investments Foundation, this endowed scholarship will support first-generation college students with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Longtime community leaders, Tom and Nancy are strong advocates for our students here at the College.

This scholarship was established by the Business and Economics Department when they received a gift from Helen Powers, at that time a Trustee of the College. The gift was designated for the Business Department’s needs. The Department decided to use some of the money to give two scholarships “to support students who will be juniors or seniors with a declared major in Business and Economics.” Candidates must submit a letter of application and supporting documentation to the Business and Economics Scholarships Panel.

Barbara Miller Otis was born and grew up in Meriden, Connecticut, a small industrial city in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. In college she became good friends with her classmate, Nancy Yeager. Nancy went on to marry Charles Cole, and the Coles eventually moved to Asheville, NC and became involved with Warren Wilson College, Chuck as a Trustee and Nancy as a member of the Board of Visitors. Throughout Barbara Otis’ lifetime, Nancy Cole remained her closest friend. When Barbara died in 1990, the Coles decided to establish a scholarship in her memory. In keeping with Barbara Otis’ keen interest in other cultures, the earnings from this fund go to deserving international students with demonstrated financial need who attend Warren Wilson College.

Mr. and Mrs. Randall Overocker came to know Warren Wilson College through Dr. and Mrs. Howard Thomas. Dr. Thomas was a volunteer here and taught in the Sociology Department in the early 1970’s. Before that he and Mrs. Thomas were missionaries in China, and Mr. and Mrs. Overocker were their sponsors. The earnings from this fund, established by Mrs. Overocker in memory of her late husband, benefit students of limited financial means who would like to attend Warren Wilson College.

This endowment was originally established by the family of Mrs. Grace Lee to help Warren Wilson College honor local and regional sojourners for peace, in memory of Mrs. Lee and of her lifetime of dedication to the cause of peace. In 2010, Mrs. Lee’s family re-designated the endowment to benefit rising seniors who have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to peace and social justice. Recipients also must have achieved satisfactory academic records, and preference is given to students with demonstrated financial need. Recipients are selected by the Dean of Students, the Dean of Service Learning, a faculty member from the Peace and Justice Studies Department, and the Director of Spiritual Life.

Grover Payne was born in Madison County, NC near the town of Marshall.  He grew up on the family farm where he developed a strong interest in the livestock business. After World War II he returned to Western North Carolina and began working for the US Postal Service, continued running the family farm, and also became involved in the seed business. He came to know and admire Ernst Laursen, the Warren Wilson Farm Manager from 1957-1996. Throughout the years of their friendship, Mr. Payne saw the Warren Wilson College approach to education through academics, work and service have a positive effect on the lives of students from all over the world. Mr. Payne, who passed away in 1986, established a trust through his will, and a beneficiary of that trust is Warren Wilson College. The stipend distributed through this trust annually is “to be used for the benefit of children from Western North Carolina who are hard pressed and working to attend Warren Wilson College, which sum shall be distributed…as Ernst Laursen, or his successor, in his discretion, shall designate.”

This scholarship provides financial assistance to students with demonstrated financial need who have been out of school for five years or more, regardless of their previous level of education and/or previous school. If no students meet the five year requirement, students out of school for 4 years may be considered, and then students out of school for 3 years may be considered. If not awarded through these criteria, the earnings of the fund shall be held and awarded when students do meet the criteria. This scholarship was established in 2009 by a gift from The Pearl Foundation of Nashville, TN, as directed by Ms. Janis Ian and Ms. Patricia Snyder, friends of the College.

Joshua David Peterson was a student at Warren Wilson College in 1994 when, on his way home for the summer break, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. During his short stay here, and through his special love of music, Josh became a part of the Warren Wilson College community. Because of his love for this place, his parents felt that a fitting memorial to him would be to establish a scholarship in his memory. Through the generous gifts of the Peterson family and friends, this endowed fund became a reality. Now the earnings from this endowment go to deserving students with demonstrated financial need so that they will have the opportunity to participate in the educational experience that meant so much to Josh.

The Porter-Hunt Scholarship, formerly known as the Sallie Mae Endowed Scholarship, was established by Mr. Ronald Hunt, a trustee of Warren Wilson College, and Mr. Alex Porter, a friend of the College. Mr. Hunt was a member of the board of directors of Sallie Mae, a financial services company specializing in higher education. Mr. Porter, who died in 2014, was a former member of the board of Sallie Mae. Many of their gifts were generously matched by the Sallie Mae Fund. The scholarships are given to undergraduate students who are studying in the College’s business program and have an interest in business careers, and who have demonstrated financial need.

In 1967 Arthur Bannerman, then the president of Warren Wilson College, invited Norm Propst to supervise the College’s carpentry work crew. Norm, or “Old Top” as he is known by many, has now been supervising the carpentry crew for over four decades. Through the years, Norm has taught meaningful skills to students—from how to hold a hammer to how to successfully manage time in the Triad education program—and he recognizes Warren Wilson as a place where invaluable learning occurs. “There’s no other place I’ve heard of where you can really have a meaningful impact on somebody,” Norm says. “[At Warren Wilson] you have a chance to make someone a better person and prepare them for the outside world.”

For Norm, work has never been about just getting a job done. Instead, it’s about empowering students to do a job well while at the same time appreciating community. Because of Norm’s remarkable devotion and careful guidance, his students graduate with strong confidence, caring hearts, and a powerful work ethic. He has, indeed, helped prepare them for the outside world.

Because of his significant influence on countless lives at Warren Wilson, a group of alumni decided to surprise Norm and honor him with an endowed scholarship in his name. The Norm Propst Scholarship will help ensure that Norm’s love for the College and its community is not only remembered, but celebrated.

With over 90 percent of Warren Wilson students receiving institutional assistance, scholarships are important to our students and our College. They help Warren Wilson College attract and retain students of high academic caliber and personal merit, regardless of their financial situation, and help realize student dreams. When scholarships are endowed, they become perpetual, permanent funds that continue to grow and provide a stable stream of revenue above those generated from student tuition and annual giving campaigns.

An endowed scholarship at Warren Wilson College requires a minimum of $25,000 in total funds. The College then invests the principal for growth and allocates earnings of about five percent of each year to qualifying students, with increasingly more scholarship dollars awarded each year thereafter as the endowed fund grows. All Warren Wilson students needing financial aid are eligible to apply for the Norm Propst Scholarship.

Fleet Reeves attended the Dorland-Bell School, one of a number of schools in the Southern Appalachian Mountains established by the Presbyterian Board of National Missions. The Dorland-Bell School eventually became part of the Asheville Farm School, also a Presbyterian mission school. This consolidated effort evolved into the Warren Wilson College of today. This scholarship fund was established in 1989 by Mrs. William E. Mainous and Mrs. Thomas L. Thrash in memory of their parents, Fleet and Laura Reeves, who appreciated the educational opportunities provided to Mr. Reeves by the Presbyterian Church. The earnings from this fund are awarded annually to a deserving student with demonstrated financial need from Western North Carolina, “without regard to sex, color, creed or religion.”

In memory of Verne Rhoades and his wife of 53 years, Dorothea Weaver, who together gave their hearts and energies to the betterment of Western North Carolina.

Verne came from his native Missouri in 1910 to attend the first forestry school in North America, which was located on the Biltmore Estate near Asheville. In time he became the supervisor of the brand new Pisgah National Forest and government purchaser of land for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Cradle of Forestry Education Centre was a project of his later years.

Dorothea descended from a long line of pioneers in Buncombe County. Her father built the first hydroelectric power plants to serve the Asheville area. Although his premature death meant that she had to return home from her first year at Converse College to take care of her mother, she continued to believe in the power of education to transform lives. She helped found the Asheville Country Day School, was active for many years in the Asheville Book Review Club, and advocated for the small schools located in the coves and mountain valleys around Asheville.

This scholarship, which was originally endowed by Dorothea Rhoades in memory of her husband Verne and later added to by their children, is a fitting tribute to a stalwart couple who loved this country, its natural beauty and its promising young people.

This scholarship fund was established in 1996 by Dr. Mary Wells Powell in memory of her aunt, Ada Rice, and in honor of her mother, Beatrice Rice Wells. Both Miss Rice and Mrs. Wells attended the Asheville Normal and Teachers College in the 1920’s. Miss Rice passed away a number of years ago, and Mrs. Wells passed away in June 2008 at the age of 106. The earnings from this endowment are awarded to a student with demonstrated financial need, with preference given to descendants or relatives of people who attended the Asheville Normal and Teachers College.

Dick and Julia Richards were both widowed when they came to Warren Wilson College as volunteers in the mid 1980s. They met and soon married. Both shared an interest in the College’s distinctive mission and were especially interested in helping international students. In 1995, the couple established the Dick and Julia Richards Scholarship Fund. This endowed scholarship is for international students, preferably those with great financial need. Dick passed away in 2009, and Julia continued to be deeply involved in the activities of the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church and College Chapel until she moved in 2013 to reside closer to family.

Mary Elizabeth (Liz) and Marshall Roberts were long time friends of Warren Wilson College and lifelong educators in Western North Carolina and in the northeast. Liz and Marshall were both actively involved in the lives of many Warren Wilson College students, and their niece, Ruth, is a 1985 alumna. Both Marshall and Liz were active with the Friends of the Martha Ellington Library group, of which Liz served as chair for a period. It was Liz’s desire that the earnings from this endowed scholarship go to a student with need, preferably an English or Creative Writing major, sophomore or higher, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

This scholarship was established by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Robinson in memory of his aunts who had raised him after the death of his mother. Before retiring to Sarasota, FL, Richard and his wife, Bett, attended a Presbyterian church in Dearborn, MI, where Bett was involved in a church circle named after Warren Wilson. Interested in information about him, she did some research and found out about Warren Wilson College. As a result, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson took an interest in the College. Mr. Robinson became terminally ill in 1990 and, at that time, decided to establish a lasting memorial to the two women who had meant so much to him in his early life. The earnings from this fund go to aid deserving students with demonstrated financial need.

This fund was established in 1984 as part of the Warren Wilson College 90th Anniversary Campaign by Leah Robinson Karpen in memory of her parents, Esther and Samuel Robinson. Earnings from this endowment are used, at the discretion of Warren Wilson College, for international student scholarships.

This scholarship was established in 1994 by Mr. Howell Ferguson, former chair of the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees, and his wife, Ms. Sharon Maxwell, to honor Sharon’s aunt and uncle, George and Charlie Ruth Ross. The earnings from the endowment are to go to deserving students with demonstrated financial need in the following priority: from east Tennessee; from the Tallahassee, FL area; from the Tampa Bay, FL area; or from northwest Georgia.

The W. Osborne Rowland Scholarship Fund was established in 1987 by the Session of the Lower Providence Presbyterian Church in Norristown, Pennsylvania to honor Dr. Rowland’s dedicated service to his church and country. Earnings from this fund shall be given annually to one or more needy and worthy students. Selection of recipients shall give preference for, but not be limited to, students at Warren Wilson College from the Greater Philadelphia (Delaware Valley) geographic area.

In 2004, Warren Wilson College received a grant for scholarships from the Russell Charitable Trust. A portion of those funds was used to establish the Russell Charitable Trust Endowed Scholarship Fund. The earnings from this fund are used to aid a deserving student.

George and Marie Scheetz had been friends of Warren Wilson College since 1942, when it was known as the Asheville Farm School. George preceded Marie in death and established a trust through his will to provide for her care. At her death, some of the proceeds of that trust came to Warren Wilson to be used to provide assistance to worthy students.

Remembering a quiet revolutionary

Once upon a time on the campus of Warren Wilson College in the quiet, beautiful Swannanoa Valley on a late summer day in 1952, Alma Shippy stepped out of a friend’s pick-up truck onto campus to begin school. Many WWC students have done just that, but Alma’s quiet step onto campus was a huge footprint in history.

Coming to school that first day like any other, Alma and WWC broke the racial divide in the old Confederacy as one of the first undergraduate institutions to desegregate. No police or National Guard were present for protection and escort. There were no court orders to mandate desegregation because this happened a full two years before the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Instead, there was just a college community that wanted to see an injustice righted and a friend who many knew–Alma–brave enough to take the chance.

In his memory, the Alma Shippy Memorial Scholarship will commemorate his legacy of making Warren Wilson an inclusive and diverse community. Started by his friends and classmates, the scholarship will give today’s WWC students an opportunity to attend Warren Wilson who might not otherwise have the chance because of their financial situation.

An anonymous donor generously offered to match all gifts, up to $12,500, to help bring this scholarship to reality. As of Homecoming 2008, our goal of $25,000 was met. As soon as pledges are received, the Alma Shippy Memorial Scholarship will be fully endowed. Students with documented financial need and who bring diversity to campus will be eligible to receive about five percent of this endowment each year. Alma Shippy will be remembered and celebrated at Warren Wilson College forever. We ask for your continued financial support for this scholarship because the greater the endowment, the greater the available amount for students each year.

If you would like to support this scholarship:

• Online – Click here to make a single or recurring gift online. Please check “other” and note “Alma Shippy Scholarship”.

• Mail – Make your check payable to Warren Wilson College, and note “Alma Shippy Scholarship” on your check’s memo line. Mail to

Office of Advancement
Attn: Alma Shippy Scholarship
Warren Wilson College
PO Box 9000 CPO 6376
Asheville, NC 28815-9000

This endowed fund was established in 1998 by Mrs. Jean Bennett, a long-time member of the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church and College Chapel, as well as a long-time friend of the College. The earnings from this fund provide either scholarships or short-term stipends to Warren Wilson College students who are preparing for careers in service-related areas such as full-time Christian service, the Peace Corps, social work, or similar types of work. Nominations are solicited from the College faculty and staff each spring, and candidates must be from the rising Senior, Junior, or Sophomore classes. Selections are announced each spring for use in the following academic year.

The Al Logan Slagle Endowed Scholarship was established in 2003 by Eunice Ball Slagle, an alumna of Warren Wilson High School class of 1944, and her husband, Albert, in memory of their son, Al Logan Slagle, who spent his adult life working on behalf of Native Americans. The earnings from this endowment go to assist a worthy student of Native American heritage.

When they established this scholarship in 2016, Emily and Walt Smith shared their admiration for the College’s Triad of academics, work and service. “While at WWC, we had academic and work programs. The work program has been as important as the academic program throughout our careers. It taught us work ethics and changed the ‘me’ to ‘we’ in working with our co-workers. To attend Warren Wilson would be an opportunity of a lifetime. You would be equipped to enter the working world or continue for an advanced degree. We would like to contribute to that student with the ability but needs just a little help.” This scholarship is awarded to students with financial need.

The Stantons retired to the Swannanoa Valley in 1987 and became actively involved in Warren Wilson College. Howard served as a trustee and then as volunteer Assistant to the President in the capacity of Director of Church Relation. Alison’s volunteer work included teaching at the College on a part-time basis. When the Stantons left their church in Racine, Wisconsin, the members of their congregation decided to honor their beloved pastor and “first lady” by establishing a scholarship fund at Warren Wilson College. The earnings from this fund are designated to assist deserving international students with demonstrated financial need.

Created by Andy Scott ’75, CheChe Vidal, and other generous donors, the Hank Steinbrecher Honorary Scholarship will benefit an undergraduate student and honor Hank’s legacy as a legendary Soccer Coach and Director of Athletics at Warren Wilson College. Steinbrecher remains a strong voice for the growth of Soccer in the U.S. and around the world. Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time deserving undergraduate students.

Through her estate plans, Caroline Stewart established a scholarship in honor of her late husband, Dr. Edwin L. Stewart, a history professor at Warren Wilson from 1951-1954.

Both from Greenville, South Carolina, Ed and Caroline met in high school. Several years after high school, they married, and Ed joined the Service, while Caroline taught elementary school. Once Ed was discharged from the Service in 1951, he heard about a “little college outside Asheville” known as Warren Wilson College and applied for a job teaching history. He was immediately offered the job by then-president Arthur Bannerman, and soon the couple found themselves in what Caroline describes as a “magical place.”

“It took no more than two weeks to feel like we had ‘hit the jackpot.’ We felt so fortunate to be on such a beautiful, charming campus. We were just so impressed – so impressed with the faculty and all the staff. They were so educated, creative, intelligent and fun. Mainly they were so committed to the students and the College,” explained Caroline.

During that time, Caroline recalls the closeness and warmth of the Warren Wilson community: “I remember that we faculty wives must have made hundreds of dozens of cookies. Everybody worked; work was exalted at Warren Wilson. It felt like we were a big family.”

After three years on campus, the Stewarts moved to Chapel Hill to take advantage of the G.I. Bill, which was about to expire. Ed enrolled in medical school at the University of North Carolina, earning an M.D. in neurology, which led to a successful 30-year career as a neurologist in Clearwater, Florida. Though they lived several states away, Ed and Caroline thought frequently about Warren Wilson and the Swannanoa Valley. Upon Ed’s retirement in 1991, the couple purchased a home close to campus.

“It took us almost 30 years to come back, but we did. We always stayed in touch and came to visit frequently; Warren Wilson was our “first home” and a place we could never forget,” Caroline said.

After her husband passed away in 2001, Caroline decided to include Warren Wilson College in her will. Specifically, she has funded a scholarship for a history major at the College in honor of Ed, who loved teaching, loved his students and loved the College. Caroline hopes that this scholarship will assist a student who needs help.

“There were so many students back then who needed help, as I am sure there are today. To help students get an education at Warren Wilson would be a wonderful remembrance. Ed would be very pleased, he loved Warren Wilson.”

Funded by and in memory of Ray Stock, beloved WWC professor, administrator, and assistant basketball coach. This scholarship provides financial assistance to deserving students.

Ray was many things. He was a devoted father, a loving partner, a loyal friend, a skilled builder, a legendary teacher, and a die-hard fan of Tar Heel basketball. He was a beloved member of the Warren Wilson community and served on both the staff and faculty from 1968 to 2007. He came to Warren Wilson as a Professor of Math and Physics and then transitioned to serve as the Director of Administrative Computing in 1985. Even in retirement, he continued to serve the College in a variety of volunteer roles.

Dennis Stockdale taught Biology at Warren Wilson College from 1972-1979. He and his wife sold some land to the college in 2007 and used some of the proceeds of that sale to establish a need-based scholarship that supports students majoring in Biology or English.

This scholarship was endowed in 2003 by WWC graduate, Tom Overman (Class of 1984) to honor long-time faculty member, Roger Stuck. Mr. Stuck taught Physics from 1947-1986 and was also the Dean of Student Affairs from 1970-72. Preference for this scholarship is given to Warren Wilson undergraduates who have completed two years of government service in one of the following ways: the US Armed Services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard); national programs such as the Peace Corps, VISTA and AmeriCorps; or similar state, regional or local programs. This scholarship is awarded based on need; however, it does not replace other grants (i.e., it should reduce loans when possible).

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation established this scholarship in 1998, which is comprised of an endowed fund and annual contributions from the Foundation to provide additional support. Recipients are selected based on need, academic promise, high personal character, and commitment to public service.

Pauline Cobb Thrift graduated from the Asheville Normal and Teachers College in 1940. The school closed in 1944 and Warren Wilson College, a sister school, took charge of their alumnae activities. Mrs. Thrift established this scholarship in 2008 to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need, with preference given to students who express a desire to enter the teaching profession.

Amanda Becker Mosko ’91, Frances E. Becker ’91, and John Edward Becker established this scholarship in beloved memory of Janet Willcox Becker, mother of Frances and Amanda and wife of John. The Unity Scholarship is named for Edgehill Farm, a Bicentennial Farm in Unity, MD, dating from the 1780s. Janet grew up at Edgehill and became a well-respected and highly admired Latin and English teacher to middle school children. As an example of her ever-present good sense of humor, she taught students “Willie Ille Pu” (Winnie the Pooh) in Latin. To honor Janet’s interests, this scholarship shall be given to deserving students who major in English, Foreign Languages, American History, Music, Art, or Craft Studies.

Dr. Verner served as a trustee of Warren Wilson College from 1984-1993, and served as its chair from 1988-1993. He also served on the presidential search committee that selected Dr. Doug Orr to be president. Mrs. Verner was the founder and president of the Swannanoa Valley Voice for Children organization. This group, in cooperation with Warren Wilson College, established a model child and family center on the College’s campus. The Verners established this Fund to provide scholarships for students preparing for careers in education.

This scholarship was established by a gift from The Public Welfare Foundation to honor Donald T. Warner, then CEO and director of the foundation. Mr. Warner was a trustee of Warren Wilson College from 1967 to 1989 and a Trustee Emeritus from 1989 until his death in 1995. He and his wife, Claudia E. Haines Warner, were major supporters of the College in the 1980’s and 1990’s, both personally and through their association with the Public Welfare Foundation. The Warner Merit Scholarship is granted to one or more entering freshmen chosen by the Office of Admission, based on their outstanding academic record during their secondary-school years. The recipient must maintain at least a 3.0 average at Warren Wilson in order to keep the scholarship.

This scholarship was established in memory of Joan Purkey Watkins, Class of 1948, an alumna of Warren Wilson High School, by her sisters and other family members and friends. It is designated for a student in good standing with a major or minor in music.

The John and Inez Watson Scholarship was established in 2010 by the seven children of John and Inez Watson: Wilmer, Neva W. Newlin, Reva W. Dietrich, Dale, Lowell, Gary, and Cheryl W. Davenport. Five of the children graduated from Warren Wilson: Wilmer ’51, Neva and Reva ’53, Dale ’56, and Lowell ’63. Cheryl transferred in 1968 after two years at Warren Wilson. Additionally, one granddaughter, Karen W. Marberger, graduated from WWC in 1974 and another granddaughter, Elaine D. Thoms, attended for two years before transferring in 1977.

The family created the scholarship to honor their parents, who were strong supporters of education. John and Inez Watson’s highest priority was that each of their seven children go to college.

“This scholarship is a wonderful way to memorialize our parents. This is a couple who dedicated their lives to the success of their children and community,” says Neva. “Education was the biggest component of their plan for success. The family resources were dedicated to us. The memory of their selfless sacrifice and hard work is very humbling.”

The Watson siblings value the education they received while attending Warren Wilson and hope their generous remembrance of their parents will help students who otherwise might not be able to attend the College.

“With this scholarship, perhaps we can make a difference in whether a person goes to college. Our parents were interested in educating children for a principled life of meaning.” Neva says. Adds Dale, “If they had had the opportunity, I think they would have chosen to go to college.”

The John and Inez Watson Scholarship is awarded based on satisfactory academic records and demonstrated financial need.

The members of the Wayne Presbyterian Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania have generously supported Warren Wilson College since 1976. A former Senior Pastor of this church, The Rev. John Galloway, was a member of the College’s Church Relations Council and also served on our Centennial Campaign Committee from 1994-98. The earnings from this endowment go to “a deserving student as decided upon by the administration and faculty of Warren Wilson College.”

Harriette Lucile Shope Weaver was a resident of the Swannanoa Valley in her youth and attended periodic dances at the college when it was the Asheville Farm School. The establishment of this scholarship in her name was a long-time desire of her daughters, the late Alice Lois Weaver and the late Mary Lorene Weaver. The scholarship is need-based.

The R.W. Weatherhead International Scholarship Fund was established by and is fully funded by The Midgard Foundation. Since 1999, the R.W. Weatherhead International Scholarship Fund has provided support for the recruitment of and scholarship assistance to international students from Asian countries at Warren Wilson College with an emphasis on students from Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation is a charity dedicated to the support of women in nine southeastern states. The Foundation devotes most of its resources to the Lettie Pate Whitehead scholarship program, which provides scholarship grants to schools and colleges for deserving female students. The Foundation also supports selected nursing homes and hospices in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia serving the needs of elderly women.

At meetings of the Presbyterian Board of National Missions, Thomas Whiteman met President Arthur M. Bannerman, who came to seek funding for the support of Warren Wilson Junior College. Mr. Whiteman gave the commencement address at Warren Wilson in 1949. Mr. Whiteman and Dr. Bannerman became good friends, and their friendship continued until Mr. Whiteman’s death in 1976. When Mrs. Whiteman died in 1970, she bequeathed money to the College to build the Maud Whiteman House and to establish a scholarship. The Thomas E. Whiteman Scholarship is to support the education of a deserving entering or continuing student.

This scholarship was started in 2013 and finalized in 2016. The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have achieved satisfactory academic records and who manifest promise of academic success, who have a demonstrated financial need, who reside in the Southern Appalachian mountain region (including counties commonly recognized as defining Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee) and who have demonstrated advocacy in support of Lesbia/Bisexual/Transgender/Gay/Queer individuals.

Frances Moffit Whitfield, RN, BSN, WWC class of 1955 feels quite strongly that Warren Wilson and the faculty at that time had a profound and positive influence in helping her achieve her personal and professional goals. She and her husband feel that establishing this scholarship is a small way that they can say thank you.

“I absolutely would not be where I am today without Warren Wilson,” says Fran Whitfield. Like many other Asheville residents in the post-Depression era, Fran was poor as a child. To earn money, she worked after school and on weekends at a Pack Square fruit stand. Her good friend Margaret often kept her company there.

“We would see two boys who were catching the bus out to Warren Wilson,” she recalls. “One day, they told us ‘you should go to school out there.’ We explained that we couldn’t afford to go to a private high school, but they said to come out anyway, so we did. We met with the dean, and we were both admitted.”

“I spent three wonderful years there. I took secretarial courses, but I had wanted my whole life to be a nurse. I remember my English teacher, Helvi Harkla, who must have read my senior paper where I talked about my hopes and dreams. She said ‘Fran, you’ve got to fulfill your dream,’ and helped me get a loan from the Presbyterian Church to go to nursing school.” Now, Fran has 51 years of nursing experience and still works with Phase I clinical pharmaceutical trials. She and her husband, Doug, live in Chapel Hill, NC, but have recreated close ties with Warren Wilson. “I went back for the first time since graduation in 2000,” she says. “I started a series of Golden Anniversary 50th reunions at Homecoming for classes from the 1950s.” With Fran’s encouragement, those classes have created several scholarships, as well as renewed strong friendships.

Fran and Doug also have created a scholarship of their own. “Doug inherited property, sold it, and used the proceeds for Warren Wilson because he knew how important it was to me,” says Fran. “He created a scholarship in my name.”

Doug also suggested that the couple make a planned gift using an insurance policy. “It was easy to do, and we had already qualified for a similar policy to benefit our church,” he explains. The couple pays the annual premium and receives a charitable deduction on their income tax. “Warren Wilson has helped so many people. It taught us a work ethic and respect for all mankind. The faculty was devoted to the students. We all worked together. Those were the best years of my life.”

The earnings from this scholarship are to be used to help a deserving student who does not have the financial means to receive the special and individual education that Mrs. Whitfield received.

This scholarship was established at the direction of and from the estate of Dr. Steven Alan Williams. Steven began his professional career at Warren Wilson College in 1981 as the Chapel and College organist and accepted a teaching faculty position in the Music Department in 1982. He served as chair of the Music Department from 1985-1989 and again from 1992-2007. In 1990, Steve was the first Warren Wilson faculty member awarded the honor of Teacher of the Year. He also served as the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church organist, music director, and chapel choir director until 2018. Steve retired from Warren Wilson College in the fall of 2019. His expertise in music was recognized in countless ways, including being awarded the Prix d’Excellence in 1980 while studying under Marie-Claire Alain at the Conservatoire National de Musique, France, and winning First Place in the 1981 National Organ Playing Competition in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

To the Warren Wilson Community, he was known as a teacher, choral director, and music theatre director – roles that he embraced with enthusiasm, humor, and seemingly inexhaustible patience. Through this scholarship, Steven’s legacy of music is passed on in financial assistance to undergraduate students studying music at Warren Wilson College.

The initial principal of this fund has been received by Warren Wilson College from Roger D. Kline ’62 and Lalah Payne Kline ’63, who created this scholarship in honor of Ron C. Wilson, History Professor from 1961 – 1996 and Tennis Coach from 1964 – 1978, so that students forevermore will be mindful of his devotion and tireless efforts on behalf of Warren Wilson College, and in honor of his friendship.  Additional contributions may be made by interested persons or organizations.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Warren Wilson College who have achieved satisfactory academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need.  First preference shall be given to students who major in History.

Mr. Witherspoon learned of Warren Wilson College during a church-related bus trip to rural Appalachia. A longtime friend of the College, he served on the College’s Board of Visitors from 1983 until his death on November 2001, just a few weeks short of his 101st birthday. The J. Houston Witherspoon Science Building, named in his honor, was dedicated in April 1999. He established the J. Houston Witherspoon Scholarship in 1991. The earnings from this endowment are awarded each year to a deserving student with demonstrated financial need.

The Woodbury Foundation was established in 1990 by Mrs. Woodbury (Christiana) Ransom, a long-time friend of Warren Wilson College. Following her death in 2001, the Foundation established the Woodbury Scholarship fund at the College in 2003. The scholarship is based on merit or need, and recipients are chosen annually by a special committee.

Mr. Woollcott served as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1988, as well as chair of the Presidential Search Committee in 1985. As an active trustee, he also served on the Finance Committee (as chair), the Executive Committee, and the Nominating Committee. He has worked closely with and advised four of the College’s six presidents. Mr. and Mrs. Woollcott established the James W.G. and Llewellyn Woollcott Scholarship Fund at the beginning of the Centennial Capital Campaign in 1994. This scholarship assists students with demonstrated financial need.

Originally a student from Hong Kong, Sue Tsang Worthen ’66 had the opportunity to attend Warren Wilson College through the international student program and, after finishing her higher education, went on to work in the pharmaceutical industry for over 40 years. She created this scholarship for full-time undergraduate students who have achieved above average academic records and who have a demonstrated financial need, with first preference to biology majors and second preference to international students.

This award is made in memory of Austin Wright, class of 2005, whose infectious spirit of adventure inspired his classmates to new challenges. The Austin Wright Leadership Award is made by selection of the Outdoor Leadership Faculty to an Outdoor Leadership Studies major with demonstrated financial need, preferably of junior or senior standing, who has overcome obstacles such as a learning disability or an experience of significant loss. The recipient should have a passion for the outdoors; embody the qualities of adventure, determination, and peer leadership; and show a commitment to helping others grow and learn through participation in outdoor adventure education.

The Grover and Ruth Yeager Scholarship Fund was established by Charles F. and the late Nancy Y. Cole in the name of Mrs. Cole’s parents. Nancy Cole was a member of the Council of Visitors from 1987 until her death in 2003. In addition, she and Chuck were longtime members of the Friends of the Martha Ellison Library and very supportive of its activities, including the annual Harwood Lecture. The Coles established an endowed fund for this annual event in memory of their friend, Raymond Harwood. Chuck Cole was a trustee of Warren Wilson College from 1987-2007. Prior to this he was a member of the Council of Visitors from 1979 to 1987 and served as its chair from 1982 to 1987. The Grover and Ruth Yeager Scholarship is restricted to students from Pennsylvania who have demonstrated need for financial assistance.

Established by Ronald C. and Cynthia S. Zumstein, this scholarship honors Ron’s father, Donald G. Zumstein ’51, and his uncle, Russell Zumstein ’47.  Warren Wilson was the door to the world beyond rural Tennessee for the Zumstein brothers. Each had fond memories of his Warren Wilson studies, experiences, and valuable life lessons learned from working on the farm to playing sports. To this day, Russ recalls Warren Wilson days as some of the best in his life. This scholarship is given to deserving students who have a home of record in the southern Appalachian region.