FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – To honor his mother's contributions to the community, David Parrish and his wife Cookie have established the Margaret B. Parrish Endowed Award in Nursing in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. Each year, one nursing student will be chosen to receive this award to help ease the expense of tuition, fees, books and supplies.

A native of Washington County, Margaret Brooks Parrish began her career as a teller with McIlroy Bank and subsequently retired as a vice-president of Arvest Bank. She was named Small Business Person of the Year in 1999 and received the first Fayetteville Volunteer Service Award.

Margaret Parrish expressed her wish to honor the nurses who had cared for her by providing financial assistance to nursing students. The Parrish family established the endowment with a $15,000 gift, the proceeds from a memorial account and auction.

In granting the award, preference will be given to students from Northwest Arkansas with a demonstrated financial need and a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Renewal of the award will be automatic for the student's second year of nursing school if the recipient maintains a 3.0 grade point average.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions to the Margaret B. Parrish Endowed Award in Nursing may do so through the University of Arkansas Foundation in care of Jamie B. Banks, Director of Development, College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701.