Submitted Photo From left, James D. Thornburg, Bill Shewey, Dr. Ron Area, Bob Shewey, Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp and Gary White pose for a photo around an oversized check for $1.2 million presented to the Marshall Foundation today in a ceremony at the Marshall University Foundation Hall, home of the Erickson Alumni Center. The $1.2 million will be given over a 20-year period by the C. Frederick Shewey Charitable Lead Annuity Trust. Thornburg and White are co-trustees of the trust, Bill and Bob Shewey are sons of the late C. Frederick Shewey, and Area is CEO of the Marshall Foundation.

slideshow

Rachel Dove-Baldwin

Staff Writer

HUNTINGTON — The Shewey Family Scholarship Program, which will benefit students in four WV counties and one county in Ky., has been established by the Marshall University Foundation, according to Dr. Ron Area, CEO of the foundation.

The need-based awards will go to full-time Marshall University students who have at least 3.0 GPAs and financial need as defined by the Office of Student Financial Assistance. First preference will be for students who have participated in programs of the Shewey Research and Learning Center in Mingo County, which was established in 2007. Second preference will be for students from Mingo, Logan, McDowell or Wayne counties in WV, or Martin County in Ky.

“The Shewey family continues to be generous friends of Marshall and I know Fred and Christine would be very proud to see this important student scholarship program become a reality,” said Dr. Stephen J. Kopp, president of Marshall.

“We are very thankful for this gift, which will benefit students from five southern WV and eastern Kentucky counties who have chosen to pursue their dreams of a four-year college education at Marshall University. We have faithfully served this part of Appalachia for many years and we are very pleased to announce the special opportunity provided by the Shewey Family Scholarship Program for the sons and daughters of this region.”

The first annual installment of $60,000 – which funds four students per academic year – was received for the program from the C. Frederick Shewey Charitable Lead Annuity Trust in December. The program will continue for a 20-year period ending in December 2031, and the total distributed by that time will be $1.2 million.

“The Sheweys were so close to the people of those areas,” Area said. “Now, to provide scholarship assistance for these kids for 20 years is unbelievable. The impact is really hard to put into words. It is absolutely incredible for these kids, for these counties and for Marshall University.”

Bill Shewey, son of late Mingo County business and education leader C. Frederick Shewey, said the scholarship was established from his father’s estate.

“My father was not a scholarly person, but he was very smart,” Shewey said. “He very much believed in education, which he demonstrated by serving on the Mingo County Board of Education for about 24 years. He particularly wanted to do something for students in these four counties in West Virginia and one in Kentucky.”

One requirement of a student receiving the scholarship is that he or she lives on campus in a residence hall during the full term of the scholarship. The award is for tuition, fees, books and campus room and board. No particular major is required of the recipient.

“My father died a little over a year ago and this was part of his wishes,” stated Shewey. “He would love this. There are so few opportunities for many kids that have the ability but don’t have the finances. My parents wanted to make sure they could leave something for the children of West Virginia. This would definitely make them both very happy.”

The first four scholarship recipients are expected to attend their first classes at Marshall this fall.