By By Chandler Myers
The Hooper W. Matthews Jr. Forestry Scholarship has been established in honor of Matthews by his children and the University of Florida at Milton.
The idea of the scholarship came about last year when the University decided it wanted to honor the memory of Matthews who was a forester in Atmore.
Matthews’ daughter, Dale Matthews Ash, said her father graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in forestry and loved to help Auburn and Florida with their forestry programs.
The scholarship was awarded in January to April Tolbert, who graduated from W.S. Neal in 1992 and has been attending school when possible since leaving high school.
To be eligible for the scholarship the applicant must have graduated from high school and has completed two years at a community college or university.
The applicant must also major in the forestry program at the University of Florida in Milton.
Ash said the recipient of the scholarship is chosen by a committee.
The forestry program works with students who have to work as well as go to school with classes taking place at night and labs every other Saturday according to Ash.
Ash said that the Matthews family is honored by the University of Florida in Milton’s courtesy of naming this scholarship after her father.
She added her father would be the same way as he always cared about education.
A second scholarship will be awarded in August and anyone who qualifies and would like information can call program recruiter Kat Campbell at 850-983-5216 or e-mail her at kcampbell@ufl.edu.