New Scholarship Fund Established by the WWHS Class of 1967

The WWHS Class of 1967 has established a building over time scholarship fund with the help of classmate Chuck Jarrell. The WWHS graduating class of 1967 was the last class to graduate from the Park Avenue school site, now the home of Park Middle School. The scholarship is a renewable scholarship for matriculating seniors from WWHS.

The 55th reunion seemed like the ideal event for starting the WWHS Class of 1967 Scholarship Fund. The class held several events during the weekend of July 22-23rd. The first event was a “get reacquainted” meet-and-greet at Country Inn & Suites and dinner followed by a program with awards at Tamarack the following day. In addition, there was a “ladies’ luncheon” at Athena Farms (pictured). Karen Atha, a 1967 graduate, and her husband, Herb, hosted the luncheon. Throughout the reunion events, classmates were able to talk about the scholarship fund and encourage donations. Classmates were very generous, and by the end of the weekend, they had raised more than $11,000 to start the scholarship fund.

“Throughout the decades, we have all benefited from our education received at WWHS and the Raleigh County school system. Today more than ever, post-secondary education, whether at traditional colleges and universities or through trade and technical schools, is critical to success in the modern workplace. Our classmates want to support graduating WWHS students who may need financial help as they seek post-secondary opportunities.”
— Chuck Jarrell

Classmates enjoyed another weekend event – a tour of Park Middle School (pictured). Lanny Oakes, a teacher at Park Middle School, led the tour that included visiting classrooms and the band room, sitting in the original seats in the auditorium, and going under the stage into “the dungeon” where some classmates had classes more than 55 years ago. Lanny, who teaches history and is very knowledgeable about the old WWHS, also assembled original blueprints of the building, pictures from 1967, and the last remaining band uniform from the old WWHS. Classmates were thrilled to see the changes in the building and to remember teachers, administrators, and friends from so long ago.

“I particularly enjoyed the tour of the old WWHS. My parents, Betty, and Millard Jarrell, met there in the fall of 1947, when both were first year teachers. My mother had just graduated from Fairmont State College, and my dad had returned from service in World War II. As new teachers, they were thrown together in meetings and committees. They fell in love and married the next summer. My dad taught chemistry and was pleased that his students later became doctors, successful business executives at technology companies, and even an astronaut (John McBride). Mom taught distributive education (DECA) and retailing and was one of a group of teachers who started the “Dollars for Scholars” fund for student scholarships in 1959-60.”
— Chuck Jarrell

Anyone interested in donating to this fund may mail contributions with “WWHS Class of 1967” in the memo to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha St., Beckley, WV 25801 or click the button below to donate online. If you are interested in starting a scholarship fund or leaving a legacy gift, call BAF at 304-253-3806 or email info@bafwv.org.

Support the WWHS Class of 1967 Scholarship Fund