Benefactors Boost Scholarship Impact

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Students at the University of Arkansas will receive more scholarship support because of the generosity of Rhonald and Betty Morris of Dallas, Texas. The Morrises have made a gift of $200,000 to supplement two university-wide scholarships established in 1995 and to establish a new endowed scholarship in the Department of Industrial Engineering.

The Jack and Jessie Morris Scholarship and the Lee and Wilma Douglas Scholarship will now be able to increase scholarship awards from $1,000 to $2,000 annually. The Morris Scholarship gives preference to students from Sevier Co., Arkansas, Ron Morris’s home county. The Douglas Scholarship gives preference to students from Baxter Co., Arkansas, where Betty Morris grew up. Both scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and financial need. The scholarships are awarded to academically qualified students from either county who have an interest in studying engineering, accounting, education, library science, chemistry or physics, although students interested in other fields are considered. The Morrises chose to keep the requirements broad so that a greater number of students will be eligible to apply for the scholarships.

The scholarships were named for Jack and Jessie Morris, the parents of Ron Morris, and Lee and Wilma Douglas, the parents of Betty Morris.

The Ron and Betty Morris AAIE Endowed Scholarship will provide a yearly scholarship in the amount of $2,000 for an industrial engineering student with significant financial need. Ron is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering, a group of alumni who provide advice and support for the Department of Industrial Engineering. Awarding scholarships for students with financial need is a top priority of the academy.

UA Chancellor John A. White said, "We are most grateful for the continued commitment to academic excellence by Ron and Betty Morris. The ability to provide need-based scholarships to qualified students is a high priority of the University of Arkansas. The more opportunities we can provide not only helps us attract good students to the University, but pushes us ever closer to our vision of a nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world."

Mr. Morris said, "There are bright, capable young people who have grown up in deprived economic circumstances as I did, who simply need a little help. When Betty and I initially chose to provide that help, we did so with the goal of eventually adding to the endowment in order to provide even more support to students in need. Also, as a member of the Academy of Industrial Engineering, it was important for me to provide support to help educate future industrial engineers."

The Morrises are both UA graduates and majority stockholders of Lyons Manufacturing, Inc. Mr. Morris is company president and Mrs. Morris is company secretary. He received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 1958 and is a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association. He later earned a master’s in business administration from Southern Methodist University.

Mrs. Morris received her bachelor of arts degree in 1959 and in 1961 earned a master’s degree in library science from Syracuse University.

The Morrises were inducted into the Towers of Old Main, a giving society that recognizes benefactors at the highest level of cumulative giving.

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