News release issued May 9, 2001, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org

Twelve students receive Noble scholarships

ARDMORE, Okla. -- Twelve area students majoring in various agricultural and technical areas were recently chosen as recipients of Sam Noble Agriculture and Technology Scholarships.

Agricultural undergraduate scholarships of $4,000 per year were awarded to five freshmen and one sophomore, one junior and one senior. The graduate scholarships are $5,000 per year. One graduate student recipient was selected this year. All recipients are attending, or plan to attend, Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

Receiving agricultural scholarships are: freshmen - Jeremiah Lee Allen, Ardmore; Courtney Ann Jones, Dickson; William Franklin Thomason, Ardmore; Autumn LaVerne Williams, Durant; and Heather Ann Worley, Ringling; sophomore - David Kole Sutton, Velma-Alma; junior - Tawni Shae Persinger, Battiest; senior - Heath James Qualls, Stratford; and graduate student - Aaron Thomas Elam, Pauls Valley.

Technology scholarships of $3,000 per year were awarded to three first-year students. Those planning to attend Oklahoma State University/Okmulgee include Shawn Christopher Bass, Duncan, and Amanda Jo Wright, Wright City. The third recipient, JoRaye Knight, Ardmore, plans to continue her education at Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City.

"The quality of the applicants was very high again this year," said Donna Windel, program officer for the Noble Foundation in Ardmore. "We were pleased to have such a wonderful group of candidates for the independent selection committee to review."

Applicants came from 13 of the 15 south central and southeastern Oklahoma counties eligible for the scholarships. Applicants must reside in Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Coal, Garvin, Jefferson, Johnston, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, Murray, Pontotoc, Pushmataha or Stephens counties.

Applications are accepted in January and early February each year. Students applying for a Sam Noble Agriculture Scholarship must be pursuing an agriculture-related degree at a university offering baccalaureate and higher degrees in agriculture. Those applying for a Sam Noble Technology Scholarship must be attending, or planning to attend, a post high school advanced technology training institute.

Students interested in applying for the scholarship may contact Donna Windel or Mary Kate Garner at the Noble Foundation by calling (580) 223-5810 or in writing at P.O. Box 2180, Ardmore, OK 73402.

Funding for the scholarship was provided by the late Sam Noble, who died in 1992.

"Not long before he died, Sam Noble expressed an interest in establishing a scholarship program that would reward top quality students who were pursing a degree in an agriculture-related field," Windel said. "He also wanted to encourage students who were preparing for their future by attending a top quality technical school such as Oklahoma State University at Okmulgee. These scholarships are the result of Mr. Noble's interest."

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, check out the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release