A brother and sister have established a scholarship at Mississippi State University in memory of their parents.
Judith Reaves Davenport of Columbia, Mo., and Dr. Charles Reaves of Charlotte, N.C., have pledged $20,000 to support the Reaves-Davenport Excellence in Social Work Scholarship in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The scholarship memorializes the Rev. Thomas B. and Mrs. Jessie R. Reaves of Wiggins, who both died last year. Thomas Reaves spent three decades as a fish hatcheries manager with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Following his retirement, he served as a minister for several Baptist churches in the state. His wife, Jessie, was a retired schoolteacher who taught in Mississippi and other states.
The couple lived in Lyman, Tupelo, Meridian, Philadelphia, and Ellisville, before retiring to Wiggins.
"They were both avid supporters of higher education even though they faced many obstacles during the Depression," said daughter Judith Davenport, professor and director of the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri-Columbia. 'This scholarship will help others reach their educational goals."
A Gulfport native, Judith Davenport grew up in Meridian and received her bachelor's degree in sociology with an emphasis in social work from Mississippi State in 1966. She received a master's degree from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate from the University of Wyoming.
Her husband, Joseph, who also was instrumental in establishing the scholarship, received his bachelor's degree in political science and sociology with an emphasis in social work from the university in 1966, as well as his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee and the University of Wyoming, respectively. He is a social work consultant in private practice.
Charles Reaves, who received his bachelor's degree in medicine/chemistry in 1964 and his medical degree in 1967 from the University of Mississippi, is a dermatologist in private practice in Charlotte.
The Reaves-Davenport Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to full-time students in the social work program, is an open fund in the Mississippi State University Foundation that can be increased through contributions from friends and colleagues. For more information, contact the university's Office of Development at (601) 325-3410.