December 4, 2015
† † † Representatives for the Irvin Gage Memorial Scholarship recently announced that the administration of the scholarship fund will now be managed by the Northeast Texas Community College Foundation. Each year since the fund was established in 1986, the scholarship has provided assistance to one or two deserving agriculture students from Mount Pleasant High School and it will continue to do so indefinitely into the future.
† † † "We are extremely proud to be part of the Irvin Gage Memorial Scholarship. This is a very successful local scholarship program and we are happy to be a part of keeping Irvin's legacy alive," Dr. Jonathan McCullough, NTCC Vice President for Advancement, said.
† † † Gage was a 1974 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School. He was well known in the area as a young farmer and rancher, in addition to being a champion International Rodeo Association (IRA) steer wrestler. Gage tragically passed away in 1985 and a group of his friends and colleagues put together a scholarship fundraiser at the former Orange Blossom Special bar and dance hall. About $30,000 was raised during that single event and an endowed scholarship fund was set up through Guaranty Bank and Trust.
† † † James Maxton, who was Gage's agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America leader at Mount Pleasant High School, is one of the parties that has been involved in the scholarship program from the beginning.
† † † "Irvin was very active in agriculture as a high school student and then later as a young farmer. He was not only dedicated to the field of agriculture, but he was very talented and ahead of his time in many ways," Maxton said.
† † † The primary change in the scholarship under it's new administration will be that recipients will need to be an agriculture major attending NTCC.
† † † "I think NTCC is a great fit for the scholarship. They have a very active and progressive agriculture program that fits with Irvin's philosophy. He was dedicated to the field of agriculture right up to the very end and it means a lot to see future farmers and ranchers gain opportunities through his scholarship," Karen Gage, Irvin's widow, said.
† † † Karen Gage pointed out that moving the scholarship to NTCC Foundation made sense on an administrative level and provides an endowment that will continue into the future. Those interested in applying for the scholarship should complete an NTCC Foundation scholarship application. In addition to this scholarship, students will also be considered for more than 100 other privately-funded scholarships. The next award cycle will be for Fall 2016.
† † † "Anyone interested in contributing to any of our scholarship funds may do so at any time. It is a great way to help local students and you can be assured that your gift goes directly to the fund of your choice," McCullough said. "Even thirty years later, I hear people in this area talk about the impact Irvin had on this community."
† † † To learn more about this or other scholarship opportunities at NTCC, contact McCullough at 903-434-8115 or visit†ntcc.edu/foundation.
