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| Scholarship available,
Harding High grads |
Becky
DiVerniero
Features Beat |
Chris Hill | The AppalachianGraham G. Clark, a freshman
at Appalachian stands with the CD that will benefit the memorial
scholorship fund.
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It is an uncommon,
yet special occasion when a high school teacher can make a strong
impression on a student’s life. Rarer still is an influential
principal.
However, the late James R. Hawkins, original principal of Harding
High School, was just that.
Harding High School graduate Neal Westmoreland, class of 1946,
and several of his fellow classmates have established an endowed
scholarship in his name, titled the James R. Hawkins Memorial
Scholarship.
Hawkins became principal of the school, located
in Charlotte, when it first opened in 1937. He kept this position
until his retirement in 1967.
“He died in January 2001 at 99 years old,”
Westmoreland said. “He was active right up until the last
year. We tried for many years to get the City of Charlotte to
name a high school after Hawkins.
“We felt they ought to name a school after
him, but the politics in Charlotte were not favorable. We decided
to take the bull by the horns and put together a memorial scholarship.
We thought a memorial scholarship would be forever and more beneficial
for graduates.” |
At
their annual October beach-blast reunion last year, the class
of 1946 set a goal of $5,000 to be raised by the end of the month,
Westmoreland said.
By November, the group had twice their goal and officially endowed
the scholarship, said Shawn D. Miller, director of gift planning
development.
“The minimum [for endowed scholarships] is $10,000. Since
November [of 2001], they’ve raised over $35,000, so they’ve
raised it pretty quick. It’s really great that they’ve
done all of this.
“The $35,000 they raised will benefit a Harding High School
graduate at Appalachian State University,” Miller said. “[The
endowed] scholarship will last forever, even after the person
passes away. The foundation invests that money, and only the interest
is spent, and the principle stays in there.
“Way after the people from the class have passed away they’ll
still have this scholarship, and it’s sort of a legacy they
created.”
Although the required amount of money has been raised, the scholarship
will not be awarded until at least next year because of the slow
economy, Miller said.
Westmoreland said there are still many potential places to look
for donations.
“We have not tapped many of the other [Harding High] classes,”
Westmoreland said. “Some of the places we have received money
from are friends, neighbors, several memorial gifts to the fund
and an anonymous foundation.
“We have written letters and brochures. We have contacted
the Charlotte Observer and talked to foundations. There is still
a lot to be done. We want to talk to more classes. It entails
a lot of missionary work on everyone.
“[Hawkins’] family has been a strong supporter of the
scholarship. The Harding High Alumni Association, who meets every
other month, also have helped.”
The bookstore is currently selling a CD featuring Harding High
Class of 1944 graduate Teeny F. Clark, which is also going towards
the fund. The CD, titled “Time After Time,” is priced
at $10, with half the money raised going toward the scholarship.
“We were looking for ways to raise money, and she said she
would be happy to help,” Westmoreland said.
Clark’s grandson, Graham Clark, is a freshman here at Appalachian.
“I think it is a great idea for her sales to benefit the
scholarship fund,” Clark said. “I did not find out about
this until Monday when I saw the CD in the bookstore. Mr. Hawkins
was a prominent figure at Harding High School in Charlotte, where
my grandmother attended. My grandmother is such a kind-hearted
person, and I think having the sales benefit a scholarship fund
is an awesome idea.”
To be eligible for the scholarship a student must have graduated
from Harding High. Special consideration will be given to students
with financial need, Miller said.
“[The requirements] don’t say whether they’d rather
have a graduate or someone who is already in school,” she
said. “The admissions office is going to take all current
students who are Harding High [graduates] and then also take all
seniors who are thinking of coming to Appalachian and the committee
… will review all that and probably take whoever has the
greatest financial need.”
Also, in the event that Harding High School closes down, other
Charlotte-Mecklenburg students would get initial consideration
for the scholarship, Westmoreland said. “There are over 50
[Harding High] graduates at Appalachian,” Westmoreland said.
“We calculated that a year at ASU costs around $7,000, and
we were going to use that as the award, but we decided that seven
$1,000 scholarships was better then one $7,000 scholarship.” |
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