Contact: Bill Wagnon
The contributions from family members of a longtime Mississippi State education dean and his wife are creating a university scholarship fund in their honor.
The Merrill and Carrie Hawkins Educational Scholarship Fund will support students in the College of Education. Dean Hawkins led the college from 1970-79 and the couple continues to reside in Starkville.
The scholarship fund was made possible by gifts from the Hawkins, as well as their two children and their spouses: Jane Hawkins Smith and husband William of Jackson and Merrill Hawkins Jr. and wife Kim of Jefferson City, Tenn.
"Dean Hawkins and his family have been extremely supportive of the College of Education and of Mississippi State for many years," said current Dean William H. Graves. "We are honored to be able to provide scholarships to our students in their names."
Graves said the scholarship fund is expected to reach $25,000 in the coming weeks.
Merrill Hawkins Sr. holds degrees from Wood College and Mississippi State and a doctorate from the University of Mississippi. He did post doctoral study at Columbia University.
During his early career, he was superintendent of schools at Gillsburg and Mars Hill in Amite County, as well as at Centerville and Vicksburg. He came to Mississippi State in 1965 as a professor of education. He became assistant dean in 1966 and associate dean in 1968.
After retiring at Mississippi State, Hawkins returned to Wood College, where he was vice president for development for 10 years.
Carrie Hawkins attended Louisiana State University before receiving a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State and a master's from the University of Mississippi. She served for 30 years in Mississippi public education, the last 20 in the Starkville elementary schools.
Jane Hawkins Smith, a Jackson real estate sales associate, received a bachelor's degree in 1974 and her master's degree in 1978 in education, both from Mississippi State. Her husband William, who received a bachelor's degree in political science from the university in 1972, is a partner with the law firm of Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes.
Merrill Hawkins Jr. attended Mississippi State before completing bachelor's and doctoral degrees at Baylor University. He also attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently teaches in the religion department of Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn.