Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) student Kiersten Stone of Anadarko has been named SWOSU’s Jack B. Shelton & Walter Crouch Scholar for the 2020-21 academic year.
Stone was selected to receive the Jack B. Shelton & Walter Crouch Memorial Scholarship for the Pursuit of Authentic Journalism by the SWOSU Department of Art, Communication & Theater Scholarships Selection Committee after submitting a competitive essay entitled Journalism vs Editorial Opinion.
Stone is a junior currently studying communication arts.
“I am delighted to congratulate Kiersten Stone on being named our university’s 2020-21 Jack B. Shelton & Walter Crouch Scholar and am deeply grateful to the generous donors who have made this recognition possible,” said SWOSU President Dr. Randy L. Beutler. “The names of these two men continue to live on our campus as paragons of integrity and creativity, and I know they would be so proud to see our students excelling. Now more than ever, it is crucial that truth and facts be advanced in our society. Thanks to a thoughtful private investment, students like Kiersten Stone can contribute to that worthy cause.”
The Jack B. Shelton & Walter Crouch Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2017 to honor the life and accomplishments of the late Jack B. Shelton and the late Walter Crouch. The fund has been generously endowed by Shelton’s widow, Margaret Shelton of Oakland (MD), and their children: daughter Becky West (SWOSU Class of 1976) and husband Bill of Lake Eufaula; daughter Susan Smith of Oakland (MD); and son Jack “Barney” Shelton (SWOSU Class of 1988) and his wife Wanda of Ham Lake (MN).
Taken together, Shelton and Crouch invested over four decades in service to SWOSU. Garrett King, assistant vice president of institutional advancement, said the two men worked passionately and diligently to cultivate the university’s distinctive and enduring brand and style. Shelton and Crouch mentored and inspired many students during their years at SWOSU and left a lasting, positive impact on public perception of “the Hilltop.”
The Jack B. Shelton & Walter Crouch Memorial Scholarship Fund is stewarded by the SWOSU Foundation, Inc. The Foundation was established in 1977 to promote philanthropy and distribute funds to support the activities and programs of SWOSU. Located on the Weatherford campus in the historic Burton House, the Foundation currently stewards over $26 million in assets for the benefit of SWOSU. For information on how to make a charitable gift to SWOSU, please contact the SWOSU Foundation at 580-774-3267 or visit www.SWOSUFoundation.com.