Half a Million Dollar Gift Establishes Allen Smith Legacy at FAO
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is pleased to share a prominent Jackson County happening in the establishment of the Dr. Allen Smith Memorial Scholarship, celebrating the legacy of the late Dr. L. Allen Smith, a native of Jackson, Ohio.
During the upcoming year, the Allen Smith Scholarship will begin annually awarding two scholarships, the Smith Scholastic Award and the Smith Community Service Award, to Jackson County students. The first, the Smith Scholastic Award, will focus on student achievement in Math, Science and Engineering. The second, the Smith Community Service Award, will recognize student community service, stewardship and emphasis on Arts & Culture in honor of Dr. Smith’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ellen Smith.
The scholarship opportunity and the accomplished lives of Dr. Allen Smith and his mother, Mrs. Ellen Smith, will certainly promote the pursuit of education and life dreams for the Jackson County community. Dr. Allen Smith, a graduate of Ohio University and the University of Leeds of England, led two distinguished careers. He was a professor at Simmons College in Boston for 31 years, and associate dean from 2006 until his untimely death in August, 2008. Dr. Smith also became a highly skilled Farrier, a shoer of horses, serving two terms as president of the American Farriers Association.
Dr. Smith’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ellen Smith, was actively involved in Jackson County’s public education. Mrs. Smith was the first woman to serve as a school board member to Jackson City School Board, a board she later chaired.
“We are privileged to work with the Dr. Allen Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund in fostering post-secondary educational opportunities for the youth of Jackson County and honoring the legacies of Dr. Allen Smith and his mother, Mary Ellen Smith,” said the Foundation’s President and CEO, Cara Dingus Brook. “Their lives and accomplishments are a tremendous inspiration for the youth of Appalachian Ohio.”
The Foundation looks forward to presenting their 2010 Scholarship Program, which will host the inaugural year of the Dr. Allen Smith Memorial Scholarships. Each year, the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio offers scholarships to students across the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. For more information about how to apply or how you can contribute to scholarship resources, visit www.appalachianohio.org or call 740-753-1111.
The Foundation hopes the legacy of Dr. Allen Smith and his mother inspires you and allows you to celebrate and remember legacies of your own loved ones.
