Topics: Scholarships, College of Communication Information and Media

June 13, 2007

A Yorktown couple has created a new scholarship fund at Ball State.

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.

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 telecommunications department at (765) 285-1480.

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.