New scholarships established

Generosity comes in many ways, large and small
By the time its fiscal year ends June 30, the Ball State University Foundation will pass four major milestones in its 56-year history. President Jo Ann M. Gora expresses appreciation to the many hardworking individuals and successful, socially conscious businesses that have given so generously to Ball State.

Ball State exceeds goal for Lilly Endowment matching gifts program
Ball State has surpassed its goal for Phase II of the Lilly Endowment's Initiative to Strengthen Philanthropy for Higher Education, creating $1.6 million for new scholarships.

New scholarships established (6/15/2007)

Ball State has received multiple gifts to create scholarships benefiting a variety of academic disciplines recently.

Mildred Fell Scholarship

An estate gift in excess of $75,000 will fund a new scholarship at Ball State. The gift is from the estate of Mildred Fell, a Muncie native who graduated from Ball State Teachers College. Before retiring in 1966, she taught for more than 40 years in the Muncie area, including at Eugene Field, Wilson Junior High and Riley Elementary schools.

The Mildred Fell Scholarship will provide financial assistance to undergraduate students majoring in elementary education.

Availability of this scholarship fund is dependent upon an award selection process established by Ball State and its academic departments. For specifics about this scholarship, contact the elementary education department at (765) 285-8560 or the Teachers College at (765) 285-5252.

For more information about other scholarships available at Ball State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.

Clara Frances Clapp Fund

For 42 years, Frances Clapp was known as a dedicated teacher, as well as an active community volunteer and neighbor.

Now, she will touch a new generation of students - this time at her alma mater, Ball State, which received a $71,600 estate gift to create a scholarship fund bearing her name.

Clapp was born in New Castle in 1909 and graduated from New Castle High School in 1928 and from Ball State Teachers College in 1932.

Miss Eilar, as she was known for most of her life, began her teaching career in LaFontaine, Ind., and later taught at North Webster, Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero, Union City and Lewisville schools. She later served at New Castle High School from 1949 to 1974 as director of the home economics department. During this time, she had 52 student teachers.

Additionally while at New Castle High School, she taught adult education evening classes in interior decorating, clothing, foods and Red Cross first aid training.

One year after her retirement, at age 65, she married her college sweetheart, Herbert Clapp of Anderson.

In addition to teaching for 42 years, Clapp was active in her community. She helped organize the first school cafeteria in Henry County and a Henry County chapter of the AARP, of which she was a charter member. She was a 4-H leader for 20 years and a 4-H camp director for another 18 years.

Clapp also volunteered with Meals on Wheels for nine years, and she provided a home for several welfare children with the support of her mother.

The estate gift will create the Clara Frances Clapp Fund to provide scholarships to Ball State students enrolled in the art department.

For more information about other scholarships available at Ball State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.

CTS Corporation Scholarship

CTS Corporation, an Elkhart-based global manufacturer of electronic components, has donated $50,000 to create a new scholarship.

The gift is from CTS Corporation, a 111-year-old manufacturing company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company manufactures sensors and electronic components in North America, Central America, Europe and Asia. In addition, CTS Corporation provides electronics manufacturing services to automotive, computer, communications, medical, defense, aerospace and industrial markets.

The CTS Corporation Scholarship will benefit Ball State juniors and seniors majoring in business administration who have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Preference will be given to students who are dependents of CTS employees.

For more information about other scholarships available at Ball State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.

Aaron B. and LaVon S. Floyd and Dr. Levan R. Scott Scholarship

A scholarship program to assist African-American students has been established by Ball State alumni.

The Aaron B. and LaVon S. Floyd and Dr. Levan R. Scott Scholarship was created with a $50,000 gift from the Floyd family. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to incoming full-time students with a preference for African-Americans from Indiana.

Aaron Floyd, a retired Air Force colonel, is a distinguished Ball State alumnus and an entrepreneur-in-residence for the Miller College of Business. He is the founder of two information technology firms and is an active member of several professional and social organizations.

Floyd's wife, LaVon, was raised in Muncie and attended Ball State. She is the daughter of Levan Scott, who received his bachelor's and doctorate degrees from Ball State.

Scott was an educator and administrator in Fort Wayne, where he was the city's first black assistant school superintendent. A middle school, the Levan R. Scott Academy, was named in his honor in 2000.

To qualify, students must have an academic index of 3.0 and an SAT score of 1,500 on the new scoring system. The scholarship may be renewed for an additional three years provided the student continues to meet the criteria.

Availability of this scholarship fund is dependent upon an award selection process established by Ball State and its academic departments. For specifics, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.

English Studies Scholarship

A $50,000 estate gift will fund a new scholarship. The gift is from the estate of Janet Ross, a professor emeritus of English who taught at Ball State from 1961 until she retired in 1980. During her career, Ross also taught English as a second language classes to foreign students and was director of Ball State's master's degree program in teaching English as a foreign language.

Ross was a Fulbright Scholar and taught in the Netherlands. Her international travels also included time as a lecturer at the University of Panama and the Saga University in Japan. In addition, she was a visiting professor at Pontifica Universidade Catolica in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The gift will fund the English Studies Scholarship to benefit Ball State students pursuing undergraduate, master's or doctoral degrees in English.

Availability of this scholarship fund is dependent upon an award selection process established by Ball State and its academic departments. For specifics about this scholarship, contact the English department in the College of Sciences and Humanities at (765) 285-8580.

For more information about other scholarships available at Ball State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.

Emma Whitlock Garnett Scholarship

During her 34-year teaching career at Ball State, Emma Garnett was characterized as a warm, outgoing and conscientious educator respected by students and colleagues alike.

Garnett's contributions to Ball State didn't end when she retired in 1993. Indeed, the former math professor has extended her caring attitude to a whole new generation of Ball State students by donating more than $33,000 to create a scholarship.

The Emma Whitlock Garnett Scholarship will benefit students in the mathematical sciences department, with preference given to women majoring in math education at Ball State.

Garnett, a Muncie resident, earned her doctorate from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. Before coming to Ball State in 1959, she taught high school in Lawrenceburg, Tenn.

While at Ball State, she chaired the Student Financial Aid Committee for three terms. Also during her career, she served on the National Science Foundation, where she reviewed proposals and was a visiting lecturer. She also served on the Educational Testing Service, where she was a reader for the advanced placement calculus exams.

In addition, she participated in several mathematics delegations to the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.

Availability of this scholarship fund is dependent upon an award selection process established by Ball State and its academic departments. For specifics about this scholarship, contact the mathematical sciences department in the College of Sciences and Humanities at (765) 285-8640.

For more information about other scholarships available at Ball State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.

Esther J. Bruner Scholarship

The daughter of immigrants, Esther Bruner grew up on an Iowa farm and learned to value education not only as a path to professional opportunity, but because it enriched her life.

She developed a passion for education, which she shared with students for more than two decades while teaching nutrition and interior design classes at Ball State until 1977. Now, her love of learning is being honored by her son, Ball State alumnus Jack Bruner, who contributed more than $24,000 in scholarship money.

The gift will be part of the University Scholars pooled scholarship fund, which provides awards to recruit outstanding students to Ball State.

Jack Bruner, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Caremark, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in actuarial science from Ball State. He lives in Nashville, Tenn., where he works for Caremark, a Fortune 100 company that manages pharmaceutical benefits.

Previously, he worked with Hewitt Associates, where he led the development of the company's health care consulting practice in the United States. In addition, he led Hewitt's global consulting operations until joining Caremark.

Bruner is a fellow in the Society of Actuaries and spent the first 28 years of his career in human resource management.

Jim and Linda Needham Telecommunications Scholarship

A Yorktown couple has created a new scholarship fund. James and Linda Needham donated $23,000 to establish the scholarship to encourage student achievement. Beginning in 2013, the fund will be used for telecommunications scholarships.

James Needham, an assistant professor, is a student adviser for Ball State's telecommunications department, which he joined in 1993. Previously, he was general manager of WIPB-TV, channel 49, where he initiated the station's televised auction and pioneered the popular public television series, "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross."

He served on several boards, including the Central Educational Network and the Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations. He also helped create the Small Stations Association for the Public Broadcast Service.

Linda Needham, a 1964 graduate of Ball State, is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Lunsford in Muncie. In 2006, she received the Coldwell Banker International President's Circle Award, given to the top 7 percent of the company's 126,000 agents worldwide. The Muncie Board of Realtors presented her the Multimillion Dollar Professional Award in 1997, and she was Realtor of the Year in 1990.

For more information about other scholarships available at Ball State, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (765) 285-5600 or visit www.bsu.edu/finaid.