Dude and Peggy Provost Inspire New Scholarship Endowment
JONESBORO – The family of W.H. (Dude) and Peggy Provost of near Marked Tree has set up an endowment fund at Arkansas State University to honor the lasting memory of the couple, who taught them valuable life lessons through their own personal experiences.
The W.H. (Dude) and Peggy Provost Memorial Scholarship Endowment will generate financial assistance for deserving upper-level students majoring in agriculture, or engineering.
W.H. (Dude) and Peggy Provost knew the value of a higher education without ever obtaining one themselves. For 57 years, the husband and wife team produced cotton, corn, soybeans and rice, and raised livestock on a 1,500-acre farm in southeastern Poinsett County.
Through hard work, sacrifice and help from a close family friend and mentor, the couple became successful in their occupation of agriculture.
It was because of their experiences with heat and drought and rains and floods that the Provosts' desired that their son and grandchildren pursue a college education.
"It was their idea of 'work with your head, not your hands' that this opportunity comes to provide scholarship funds for future agricultural businessmen and women, and those who choose to pursue technology to advance in the profession," stated Richard Provost, the couple's son.
The Provosts' son, Richard, who is a 1968 A-State alumnus, and his wife Betty, of Marion, are joined by their children, Beth Provost of Dallas, and Brett Provost and his wife Kim of Jonesboro to make the gift commitment. Brett and Kim are 1996 alumni.
Dude Provost believed in "taking care of the land because it will take care of you," the family remembered him saying.
"Today, we honor their memory with this endowment to help others succeed in their pursuit of higher education," they added.
Dr. Timothy Burcham, dean of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Technology, commented, “This scholarship is a wonderful testament to the deeply held values of Dude and Peggy Provost. While they valued the hard work required to be successful in Delta farming, they also understood the importance of incorporating intellectual knowledge. This is the knowledge that allows modern agricultural to sustainably feed a growing world.”
For additional information on scholarship endowments and other methods for assisting deserving Arkansas State students, contact the Office of Development at the Cooper Alumni Center, 2600 Alumni Blvd., or call (870) 972-3940.
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