University awards first Henry engineering scholarships

Justin C. Merritt, a chemical engineering major from Decatur, Ala., is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell K. Merritt. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Jennifer A. Stone, a mechanical engineering major from Jonesboro, Ark., is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry A. Stone. She is a National Merit Scholarship finalist and a member of the University Honors Program.

The scholarships are made possible through a $1 million endowment established by Mississippi State alumnus Hunter W. Henry Jr. and his wife, Lila, of Austin, Texas, and their son James E. "Jim" Henry of Denham Springs, La., also a Mississippi State graduate.

In 1993, Hunter and Lila Henry established a $500,000 annuity trust at the university. This year, Hunter and James Henry matched the endowment with a $500,000 cash commitment. The endowment provides two $5,000 scholarships each year.

One student in mechanical engineering and another in chemical engineering will be selected each year until eight students are receiving the scholarships at one time. The awards cover all tuition and fees. They recognize scholastic achievements and leadership qualities.

Hunter Henry, a retired Dow Chemical Co. executive and 1950 chemical engineering graduate, received two major university honors in 1988 when he was named alumnus of the year and one of the institution's 10 outstanding graduates. He is a member of the university's Chemical Engineering Hall of Fame and the College of Engineering's Distinguished Engineering Fellows.

James Henry, a production superintendent with Dow Chemical U.S.A., is a 1977 mechanical engineering graduate.

The Henry Endowed Scholarship Fund is a part of the university's major gifts campaign. Commitments to The Campaign for Mississippi State, the university's first major gifts effort, had reached $84.7 million by mid October. The five-year campaign, now entering its third year, seeks $110 million in support of university priorities.