Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State sophomore Roy B. Watson of Jackson is receiving a new scholarship designated for university students with physical challenges.
Watson, a Southwest Academy graduate now majoring in business information systems, is the inaugural Joseph S. Latham Memorial Scholar. The award provides a total of $750 for two semesters of study.
An MSU President's Scholar, Watson is the son of Clarissa Watson [ZIP 39272].
"I am honored to be the first person to receive the scholarship, especially after meeting the parents of Joseph Latham," said Watson, who has been confined to a wheelchair since birth with type II spinal muscular atrophy.
In October 2000, Sam and Rita Latham of Hollandale were joined by family and friends in establishing the scholarship in memory of their son Joseph, a 1994 MSU agriculture graduate. Following a battle with cancer that began at age 3, he succumbed to the disease in August 2000 at the age of 30.
Sam is a former MSU football player and 1958 agriculture graduate. Rita, a former MSU cheerleader, graduated the same year in accounting.
A Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service employee, Joseph Latham was an avid fan who attended Bulldog athletic games with his parents whenever his condition permitted. While at MSU, he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho social fraternity.
"The Lathams are very caring people that Mississippi State should be proud of," Watson said. "They realize the importance of education and I think they are doing a very good thing with the creation of this scholarship."
The Latham Scholarship is awarded to full-time, handicapped students enrolled at Mississippi State University. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majors are given priority consideration.
The Joseph S. Latham Memorial Scholarship is an open fund in the MSU Foundation that may be increased through additional contributions. For more information, contact Jud Skelton, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences development director, at (662) 325-0643.