First College of Engineering Ph.D. Recipient and Wife Give Back

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - George and Shirley Combs, of Fort Smith, have made a $250,000 commitment to create two scholarship funds for undergraduates in the Fort Smith area wanting to attend the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas.

The George D. and Shirley Combs Honors Academy Scholarship in Engineering will be given to engineering students from the Fort Smith area who have been accepted into the University of Arkansas Honors College.

The George D. and Shirley Combs Transfer Scholarships in Engineering will be given to transfer students who have successfully completed the pre-engineering program at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith and who are transferring to the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

"This remarkable gift will help generations of Fort Smith students pursue their dreams of becoming professional engineers," said College of Engineering Dean Ashok Saxena. "We’re grateful to George and Shirley for their leadership, vision and love of community. It’s very clear that they have a strong commitment to the future growth and development of the University of Arkansas and Fort Smith."

George Combs received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1959 and the first doctorate in engineering awarded by the College of Engineering in 1964. After graduating, he worked for Exxon as a research engineer for six years. He then came back to the University of Arkansas as a faculty member for eight years. In 1978, Combs went to work full-time for ENSCO. He served on the board of directors and as Vice President for Engineering for the next 15 years. He is now owner and manager of Combs Equity Management, Inc., which manages a private futures trading program and conducts research on stock selection and market timing.

He’s currently a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Campaign Committee and the Arkansas Academy of Mechanical Engineering. Combs was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 1998.

Shirley Combs attended the University of Arkansas and graduated from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. She was an art and elementary school teacher.

The Combs have three children, two of whom graduated from the University of Arkansas, and two grandchildren.

"Education is a critical requirement for individuals, cities and countries to compete successfully for jobs," said Combs. "We especially need excellent engineering and computer science graduates who have the ability to increase the productivity of the existing businesses and plants in this area and to create the innovations that lead to entirely new businesses. Shirley and I are confident that the young people in this area have the necessary talents and work ethic and that the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville will provide the education they need to succeed."