Endowed Scholarships

When you create a named/endowed scholarship at Phillips University Legacy Foundation, you give the gift of leadership and scholarship, providing access to education and leadership development opportunities for talented students who are selected as Legacy Scholars. Endowed scholarship funds start with a minimum gift of $200,000, which provides a scholarship for one Legacy Scholar each year. Endowed scholarships are invested in their entirety and are awarded from the income earned. 

We give thanks for the generosity of alumni, family, and friends who have made possible the gifts of leadership and scholarship while honoring family, friends, and others who have made an impact in their lives. The foundation is pleased to have the following endowed scholarships making a life-changing impact in the lives of the legacy scholars and those they serve:

 

Becky and Richard Books Scholarship

Becky (Wooten) (’74) and Richard (’74) Books established the first fully funded endowed scholarship for the Legacy Foundation in 2016. Becky and Richard met at Phillips University and were married during their junior year. Richard was a political science major and went on to law school and eventually a career as an attorney in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma's oil and gas industry. Becky was an English major. She enjoys traveling and has been around the world three times on numerous adventures. Richard is a WWII buff having traveled to the Beaches of Normandy regularly as well as speaking at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA. The foundation is grateful to Richard and Becky for their vision, generosity, and continuing support of our mission financially and through their volunteer leadership. The Books are strong advocates for higher education and have been long-time supporters of PULF.

Becky and Richard shared why they wanted to create this scholarship: “This is a way for us to help out those who are now sending their children to college. It is our hope that this endowed scholarship will lessen the financial burden that so many families face when sending their child or children to private undergraduate institutions that remind us of Phillips. An excellent college education is the greatest gift we can give future generations. That is why we believe in supporting the Phillips University Legacy Foundation.”

 

The Dorothy and Sheldon Elliott Endowed Scholarship

Dorothy and Sheldon Elliott Scholarship was established by their daughter, Linda Elliott, in 2022 in memory of her parents, who met and graduated from Phillips University in 1948. Sheldon graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Chemistry. Dorothy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education. They were very involved in campus life – he was a Gridiron Guy, and she was a Zonta Maiden. They were married for 60 years. In 1988, Sheldon joined the Board of Trustees of Phillips University, was elected Chairman of the Board of Phillips University in 1992, and was appointed Chancellor in 1994. For his services to Phillips University, he received a Distinguished Service Award, a Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He continued to serve on the Board of Directors of the Phillips University Legacy Foundation.

When Linda was asked what prompted her to create this scholarship, she responded, “Our family has always had a high regard for the benefits of a quality education, so it seemed natural that I should use some of my inherited wealth to support education and to honor my parents’ service to Phillips University by funding a scholarship with PULF.”

The Gentle Family Endowed Scholarship

The Gentle Family Endowed Scholarship was created by three brothers and their families in 2020, honoring the strong ties that the family has through their parents to Phillips University and the Legacy Foundation. Dr. Donald Gentle said, "Our family has always believed in the value of higher education. We feel that this scholarship is a way to honor our family's lifelong commitment to education while creating ongoing support for the education of future generations and continuing the mission of Phillips University." The Gentiles commented,  "Our liberal arts studies helped us mold a global worldview, our lifestyle, and our professional career choices. Now in this conflicted era, more so than ever before, there is still a vital role for the liberal arts university. It should be championed and supported." 

All three Gentle brothers attended Texas Christian University, and Wesley Gentle, son of Stephen and Miriam, was a Phillips University Legacy Scholar while at TCU. When possible, The Gentle Family Scholarship will be awarded to a Phillips University Legacy Scholar attending Texas Christian University.

 

Barry K. Robinson Scholarship

The Barry K. Robinson Scholarship was established in 2020 in thanks for over 29 years of distinguished leadership and service both to the university and the foundation. Barry Robinson (’63) served faithfully as a Trustee of Phillips University since 1991 and as  Chair of the Board since 1997; he led the Phillips University Board of Trustees through difficult times and into new beginnings with the establishment of the Phillips University Legacy Foundation. Barry retired in 2001 from a 36-year career at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, where for many years he had executive responsibility for public affairs activities in the bank’s seven-state region. Barry, who is an active member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has also provided leadership service throughout the denomination, including service on the General Board and the Christian Church Foundation.  

Barry graduated from Phillips University in 1963. He and his wife Patti live in Oro Valley, Arizona. 

 

The Varsity Scholarship

Becky (Wooten) (’74) and Richard (’74) Books established the Varsity Club Scholarship in 2019. It is a fully funded permanent endowment created to support the ongoing mission and legacy of Phillips University. They established this endowed fund in honor of the strong ties that the Varsity Social Service Club provided in their undergraduate lives at Phillips and those bonds that continue to this day. PULF is grateful to Richard and Becky for their vision and generosity and continuing support of our mission, both financially and through their volunteer leadership. Becky and Richard shared why they wanted to create the Varsity Club Scholarship:

“Varsity was a large part of our lives while at Phillips. The bonds that we formed through Varsity have remained strong over the years. This scholarship is a way for us to honor how special these relationships have been to us. It’s also a way to pass the Varsity traditions and values on to a new generation. 

This is a way for us to help out those who are now sending their children to college. It is our hope that this endowed scholarship will lessen the financial burden that so many families face when sending their child or children to private undergraduate institutions that remind us of Phillips.  An excellent college education is the greatest gift we can give future generations. That is why we believe in supporting the Phillips University Legacy Foundation.”

 

 

To learn more about creating a named or endowed fund, contact J. Gottman, Director of  Development.