By By Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star
March 20, 2001
Little Rock area students interested in a career in medicine or dentistry may get a good educational start through a scholarship program recently established at East Central Community College by T.T. and Mary Beemon of Raymond.
The Beemon scholarship fund, endowed with more than $10,000, is designed to help students from the Newton County community attend college. Larry Hogue, ECCC's vice president for foundation and alumni relations, said T.T. Beemon wanted to establish the scholarship for deserving students from his hometown area.
Beemon is a native of Newton County and graduated from Beulah Hubbard High School. His wife, Mary, was born in Choctaw County and grew up in Louisville.
The Beemon's themselves made careers in education.
T.T. Beemon graduated from East Central Community College in 1937 and also graduated from Mississippi Southern College. He taught at the high school level before entering the U.S. Army. After completing his three year stint, he began a 38 year teaching career at Hinds Community College, from where he retired in 1983 chairman of the biology department.
Mary Beemon graduated from Mississippi Woman's College, known today as William Carey College in Hattiesburg. She started her teaching career in Louisville and later taught math at Hinds Community College. She also retired from the college.
To be eligible for the T.T. Beemon Scholarship, a student must be a resident of the Little Rock, Mississippi area, plan to enroll in college full time after graduation from high school, major in a science field such as chemistry or biology, and plan a career in pre-med, pre-dentistry or a related field.
Recipients will be selected by the College Scholarship Committee and the award will be made during the first semester of the freshman year. The first funds will be awarded to a student this spring at a scholarship luncheon scheduled May 24, where scholarship donors will get to meet student recipients.
Kelly Quackenbush is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at kquackenbush@themeridianstar.com.