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Scholarship will benefit BCHS students
By Mike Bollinger • Staff Writer
WARM SPRINGS — Thanks to a gift from the estate of John and Gladys Lawrence, more Bath County students will have the opportunity to attend Virginia Tech.
Chris Singleton, attorney for the estate, said the scholarship would provide $150,000 annually for students who want to attend Tech, with first preference going to BCHS students.
John Lawrence was a 1940 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in industrial engineering, Singleton said. He and his wife had no children. "Next to his wife and Bath County, Virginia Tech was his most important focus. He was a loyal Hokie," Singleton said. "Hopefully this will help generate interest in Virginia Tech."
Lawrence, Singleton said, was "basically a country boy from Bath County," who earned his degree and made his fortune through offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. He had a farm in the county for many years and visited frequently, Singleton said.
Alex Fritz of the Virginia Tech university development office said the award would help many students who want to attend there. "Not only will it help Bath County High School students, although first preference will be given to them, but a gift like this will help all students who qualify for a scholarship at Virginia Tech," he said.
Fritz said with a decline in funding from the state, private support is becoming increasingly important. "It is great that the Lawrences had the forethought to provide this gift that will touch the lives of students for years to come," he said.
Bath County School Board vice chair Dreama Burns said, "On behalf of the school board, I want to say how much we appreciate Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence's contribution. Each child has dreams, goals and wishes, and this will help them attain those. Virginia Tech is a wonderful school, and we are so pleased for our students to have this opportunity. The Lawrences have left behind a wonderful legacy that will touch many lives."
"We are pleased and excited about this," added BCHS principal Pete Pitard. "It gives our kids the opportunity to go to a first rate school that some of them may not be financially able to afford."
Pitard said he believes the scholarship will make Virginia Tech more attractive to BCHS students, and hopes students who would not otherwise consider the school will do so.
"We have a lot of students go to Virginia Tech for en- gineering, and now we can promote more than that. We have several who have expressed interest in their veterinary program, and also some in interior design. Now, for interior design, maybe they won't have to travel to North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia," Pitard said.
Fritz said students who apply to Virginia Tech should contact the university office of scholarships and financial aid, and they will be made aware of available scholarships. "There is an application process for those who wish to apply for scholarships here at Tech," he said.
"The Bath County High School administration is welcome to recommend students, ant that will be taken into account by that office," Fritz said.
Singleton encouraged interested students at BCHS to contact the school administration and said other interested Bath County residents should contact his office at 839-5009 and he will put them in contact with the appropriate person at Virginia Tech.
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