Hites Family Foundation Receives Alliance for Educational Excellence Award
The Hites Family Foundation was presented with The Alliance for Educational
Excellence Award during Phi Theta Kappa's Convention in Grapevine, Texas,
April 16-18. Foundation Board members accepted the award following the
announcement that Phi Theta Kappa had met the match challenge issued by
the Hites Family Community College Scholarship Foundation in 2008
The
Hites Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri, had offered to establish a $1 million
transfer scholarship endowment for Phi Theta Kappa, based on an almost
2-1 match. Phi Theta Kappa was being challenged to raise $350,000, which
would be matched almost 2-1 by the Hites Family Foundation to create the
$1 million endowment.
Prior to the award presentation, Phi
Theta Kappa's Executive Director Rod Risley, Foundation Executive Director
Dr. Nancy Rieves, Foundation Chair Dr. Matthew Quinn, and 2008-2009 Division
II Vice President Maggie Webster announced that Phi Theta Kappa had not
only met, but exceeded the challenge. A check was then presented to Phi Theta
Kappa for $650,000 representing the Hites Foundation's share of the match
toward the million-dollar endowment for transfer scholarships.
"This
is the largest scholarship endowment in Phi Theta Kappa's history. And
it could not have come at a better time. When the Hites Foundation first came
to us, no one could have predicted the economic challenges now facing both
students and colleges. The Hites Scholarships will help meet a need that
becomes more crucial every day," said Executive Director Rod Risley in
thanking Hites Foundation representatives for the match. "Because of
the Hites Foundation, generations of Phi Theta Kappa members will be able
to pursue their educational goals and achieve their dreams."
Seven
years ago, Phi Theta Kappa established the Alliance for Educational Excellence
Distinguished Partner Award, to honor organizations, associations and
foundations who have distributed outstanding commitment to promoting
learning and academic achievement.
The Hites Family Community
College Scholarship Foundation was established by Robert Hites, an executive
with Ralston-Purina in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon his retirement he fulfilled
a lifelong dream and became an instructor at St. Louis Community College.
Robert Hites turned down opportunities to teach at prestigious
senior institutions because he valued the educational experience offered
by community colleges, and he witnessed the determination and will to succeed
of his community college students. He also came to understand their needs,
and was determined to help them achieve their dreams, as he had achieved
his.
"The Hites Foundation that he created has provided opportunities
to community college students around the country who excelled academically
and desired to complete at least a baccalaureate degree," Risley said in
presenting the award. "This magnificent endowment will help generations
of future Phi Theta Kappa members receive an education and go out into the
world as scholars and leaders committed to making a difference."
Hites
Foundation Board members Ray Hites, Ray Kerlagon and Don Davis attended
the Convention and accepted the award on behalf of the Hites Family Foundation.
"Anyone managing 'financial' investments over the past 12
months had their work cut out for them," said Ray Hites in acceptance remarks.
"However, 'investing in students ... 'investing' in education ... 'investing'
in future generations of Phi Theta Kappa members and helping them achieve
their goals and dreams. Those are 'timeless investments' ... 'recession-proof'
investments."
Hites went on to announce a second Transfer Scholarship
Endowment challenge.
Contributions to the Hites Scholarship
Challenge from Convention attendees totaled almost $16,000. For information
about the Hites Challenge and donations to the Challenge and the 1918 Club,
celebrating Phi Theta Kappa's 91st anniversary, contact Dr. Nancy Rieves,
Executive Director of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, at 1.800.946.9995,
ext. 3537.
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in
Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in American higher
education with 1,250 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United
States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands,
the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than two
million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately
100,000 students inducted annually.
