University Park, Pa. -- Charles Evans Hunnell, an alumnus of Penn State's College of Education, has given $100,000 to endow a scholarship in the college for students who have financial need. First preference for the award will go to those who graduated from a high school in Greene County, in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The Florence Vernon Hunnell Trustee Scholarship in Education is named in memory of the donor's mother, who passed away in 2005.
"Prior to my mother's passing, I discussed with her the possibility of establishing a scholarship in her name, and she supported the prospect of helping Penn State students," Charles Hunnell said. "Mom grew up during the Great Depression, and her family was not able to send her to college, but all of her friends have told me that she was an excellent student.
"When I attended Penn State, she became a Penn Stater too. She loved to visit campus, attend athletic events, and was always proud that her son had graduated from the University. I know that she would have been proud to help future generations of College of Education students achieve their dreams."
Charles Hunnell received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Penn State in 1965. As a student, he was in Navy ROTC, later serving as an officer aboard the destroyer USS Beale. A Vietnam veteran, he achieved the rank of lieutenant commander.
Hunnell also taught U.S. history and economics at Upper St. Clair High School for 29 years before retiring in 1997. He has held a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) official's card in football since 1962, and he has officiated NCAA football for 21 seasons, advancing all the way to Division 1-AA in the Eastern College Athletic Conference.
A Waynesburg resident, Hunnell said his combined passion for athletics and the University means that he can often be seen at various athletic events on and off campus.
"Since Penn State and the College of Education gave me the solid foundation to my teaching career, I feel the need to help extend the same experience to as many students as possible," he said.
In previous philanthropy to Penn State, Hunnell in 1992 established the Charles Evans Hunnell Endowed Scholarship in Education for students demonstrating superior academic performance. He also is a member of the College of Education's Dean's Development Council.
"Chuck exemplifies the meaning of a true Penn Stater," said Dean David Monk. "He is a great friend of the college and someone who is always willing to volunteer or help when he can. It's this kind of person who makes our college community so special."
The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, implemented in 2002 upon approval by the University's Board of Trustees, is designed to keep a Penn State education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their financial means. The program has a unique matching component -- the University matches 5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship.
Visit: http://www.giveto.psu.edu/ReasonsForGiving/UndergraduateSupport/TrusteeScholarship for more information about the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program.