Wilbanks Scholarship Fund

DR. TOM & BESS WILBANKS SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND

In August 1981 Kiwanis Club president-elect John Thomas Williams approached Texarkana Community College president Dr. Carl "Cheesie" Nelson, Horace Cochran and Tommy Adams with the following question: "Is there any rule that says you have to wait until someone dies before you can honor them for the life they have lived?" This was in reference to Kiwanian Dr. Tom Wilbanks and his wife Bess.

The idea for the Dr. Tom and Bess Wilbanks Scholarship Endowment Fund was born.

The minutes of a regular meeting of the board of directors of the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana held on October 1, 1981 record, "The matter of establishing an Endowment and Scholarship Fund for Texarkana Community College in honor of Dr. Tom and Bess Wilbanks was discussed at length. The following motion was approved: 'That the Club approve the establishment of the Dr. Tom and Bess Wilbanks Scholarship Endowment Fund as drafted by the committee. Further that the Club designate $10,000 of funds for the first year; $5,000 from personal donations; the second $5,000 to be raised by Pancake Day or from existing Club funds.'" The motion was presented and approved by the Club's members.

From the 1981-82 Club annual report, "In early October 1981, a committee of six Kiwanians was named." The six members included Bruce Wilson, Chairman, Howard "Buck" Craver, Horace Cochran, Don Morriss, LeRoy Autrey, Paul McFerran, and Dr. Herbert Wren. Kiwanian Dr. Carl Nelson served as advisor.

Following a course of action set by President Williams, the committee and the advisor, LeRoy Autrey drafted a proposal under which the Fund would be administered. Using this draft the following acceptance was made in December 1981:

"The Texarkana College Foundation, Inc. has agreed to accept tax deductible gifts to be held in perpetual trust as the Dr. Tom J. and Bess Wilbanks Scholarship Endowment Fund. The income from this fund will be used to award annual scholarships for the payment of educational expenses, including tuition, books, room and board for selected full-time students at Texarkana Community College. The amount of each such scholarship, the number of such scholarships and the manner and method of payment of such scholarships will be determined by the Texarkana College Foundation, Inc. or its nominees. The selection of the students to be awarded such scholarships will be made each year by the President and the Board of Trustees of Texarkana Community College on the basis of demonstrated excellence of personal character and scholastic attainment and upon determination that the selected student is strongly motivated toward a career goal which can be advanced by successfully completing the first two years of college at Texarkana Community College."

Board members of the Texarkana College Foundation were: Dr. William R. Patterson, Sr., chairman, Truman Arnold, William Fuller, Josh Morriss, Sr., Howard Waldrop, Vasco McCoy, Jr., and the honoree himself, Dr. Tom J. Wilbanks.

In the solicitation of personal donations Bruce Wilson and Tommy Adams were appointed to spearhead this effort. Tommy's position was administrative, i.e., designing the pledge card, assembling a prospect list, assignment of prospects and record keeping. Bruce provided leadership for members of the soliciting teams.

The goal of $5,000 was raised in the first few weeks of the drive. Research done by Frank B. Coleman, at that time Dean of Business Affairs for Texarkana Community College, found that approximately 140 businesses and individuals contributed $17,700 as of March 2, 1982. Another $2,000 was pledged and collected during 1982. The year ended with $25,800 in the fund.

In the first year, 1982, five scholarships were awarded in the amount of $750 each. One recipient, Jimmy Johnson of Liberty-Eylau, served as a member and later as president of the board of directors of Key Club International.

From this initial effort, the Fund has grown steadily from contributions, retained earnings and additional grants from the Club. In 1991 it topped $100,000. The Fund received an anonymous contribution of $197,334 in May 1995, at which time the Fund's market value was $322,181. The Fund continued its steady growth, and as of December 31, 2003 the Fund’s market value was $569,702.

From its inception, the Fund has provided $42,300 in Scholarships to more than thirty deserving students. At its current value, an estimated $18,000 to $24,000 will be available for the Foundation's annual use to promote Texarkana College's scholastic standards by attracting the best scholars from local and area high schools.

It has been Texarkana’s privilege and honor to both know and serve as friends and Kiwanian with Dr. Tom. In our reflections on the man and the life he and Bess lived, we are reminded of a poem, simply titled,

BUILDERS

Be ye builders, vital, doing.
Architects of life and fate.
Ever striving and preparing
Far a higher nobler state.
Not in sighing, aging, dying.
Is the measure of the man.
But in growing, building, living.
Life fulfills the Master Plan.

Author Unknown

Dr. Tom and Bess Wilbanks were builders.