A capacity crowd was in attendance in Peeler Crystal Lounge Thursday, November 11 when Catawba College hosted its annual Endowed Scholarship Luncheon. The occasion was an opportunity for scholarship donors or donor representatives to meet with their scholarship recipients.
Senior Emily McGaughy of Upland, Calif., the recipient of the John A. and Susan Lantz Foil Scholarship, spoke on behalf of her fellow scholarship recipients. She said the scholarship donors through their gifts “make our community a better place.” She recalled visiting Catawba in 2002 and falling in love with the College “without a penny to my name.”
A short time later, McGaughy said she received a phone call from Catawba’s Financial Aid Director who said, “I think we have something for you,” indicating scholarship assistance that was available to her. “There’s been something at Catawba for me ever since and I count my blessings every day,” she concluded.
According to Catawba Senior Vice President Tom Childress, 15 new Endowed Scholarships were established at the College during the past year. They included the Cy Alexander Basketball Scholarship, established by donor Cyrus W. Alexander III ’75 of Nashville, Tenn.; the Edward A. & Lorna A. Brown Scholarship, established by donors Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Brown of Salisbury; the Carl G. & Lena Brown Carpenter Scholarship, established by donors Mr. Carl and Dr. Mary Ida Yost of Granite Quarry and Ann Arbor, Mich.; the Maxine & Art Claar Scholarship, established by donors Art ’49 and Maxine Claar of Burlington; the Joseph & Jewel Gawthrop Scholarship, established by the estate of Joseph W. Gawthrop; the James G., Jr. & Jean L. Hudson Scholarship, established by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Smith and Jean Logan Hudson ’43 of Salisbury; the Auburn C. ’32 & Virginia A. Hunsucker Scholarship, established by Robert T. ’63 and Mary ’64 Roakes of Salisbury; and the Dennis C. & Flora T. Landreth Memorial Scholarship, established by D. Jeffrey ’67 Landreth of Manteo and Joel M. ’70 Landreth of Winston- Salem.
Other new Endowed Scholarships also included the June & Marie Michael Scholarship, established by Chester A. “Junie,” III ’70 and Teresa Michael of Mooresville; the Catharine M. & Robert B. Miller, Jr. Scholarships, established by Dr. W. Clyde ’54 and Mrs. Mary Catherine Miller ’57 Taylor, Jr. of Hickory; The Charlie T. Sr. & Louise T. Roakes Scholarships, established by David D. Jr. ’72 and Nancy R. ’72 Blalock of Westfield, N.J., and Robert T. ’63 and Mary ’64 Roakes of Salisbury; the Spencer High School Class of 1957 Scholarship, established by David A. Poteat ’63 and members of the Class of 1957; the Jack & Jackie Taylor Baseball Scholarship, established by Byron C. “Jack” ’48 and Jacqueline B. ’52 Taylor of Rockwell; the Claude H. and Ruth L. Trexler Memorial Scholarship, established through the estates of Mr. and Mrs. Trexler; and the Dr. & Mrs. Robert W. Wilson Scholarship, established by Dr. Robert W. ‘ 62 and Mrs. Peggy Wilson of Salisbury.
In his closing remarks, Catawba College President Dr. Robert Knott told those gathered, “We cultivate endowments and scholarships, and at these occasions, try to bring together those who give and receive to help our students understand that where they are today is due in part to those they are sitting with at these tables.
“We want our students to learn who they are today and then to move past that to become better citizens in service to us all.”
Endowed scholarships are created with a minimum gift of $10,000. Currently, Catawba is privileged to have 181 of these scholarships which are used to provide financial assistance to deserving students.
