AZ Vegetable Growers/M.O. Best Scholarship

Mac Okle Best was his given name, but he was better known as M.O. Best, a well-respected and prominent businessman in the early days of Phoenix. He came from Colorado to Arizona in the 1930s and acquired 1,000 acres in what is now the area surrounding 51st Avenue and McDowell Road. He fed cattle and farmed vegetables on this site for 20 years. Just down the road from the farm, he also started the Crystal Ice Company, which still exists today at the original location of 21st Avenue and McDowell, right next to the M.O. Best Rail Stop. Unfortunately, his time in Arizona was shortened when he was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away at the age of 55. With his passing, he bestowed the Arizona Vegetable Growers Association (VGA) with a monetary contribution that was to be dedicated to the purpose of educating youth in agriculture. VGA invested this contribution, and the money now funds the endowment scholarship, in the name of VGA and M.O. Best, for students in the Morrison School.

Dick Baxter Real Estate Scholarship

Laura R. Boehm Memorial Loan Scholarship Fund

To apply: Contact Jill Olson at (480) 727-1586 or Jill.Olson@asu.edu

The Laura R. Boehm Memorial Loan Scholarship Fund provides interest-free loans to graduate students in the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness pursuing either an M.S. in Agribusiness or Ph.D. concentration in Agribusiness.

• Letter from the Dean
• Application
• Application
• Release Form

Bruce Brooks Memorial Agribusiness Scholarship

Richard Chalquest Agribusiness Scholarship

Dr. Richard Chalquest earned his D.V.M. degree at Washington State University and his Ph.D. degree from Cornell. Because of his background in academia and industry, ASU hired Dr. Chalquest in 1971 as Director of the Division of Agriculture and Professor. He led the development of an academic agribusiness program at ASU and the transition to the School of Agribusiness and Resource Management. In 1981 he made the decision to return to teaching in agribusiness. Seven years later he was again asked to be Director of the School for two years. Upon his retirement in 1997, Dr. Chalquest wanted to present an opportunity for students in the Morrison School by way of this scholarship fund.

The Eldon W. and Elona Cooley Scholarship

This scholarship is named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Eldon W. Cooley, longtime residents of Maricopa County’s East Valley. The Cooley family is well known in the area and Mr. Cooley served in many capacities in the city of Mesa, including its Mayor. They have established this scholarship in the spirit of giving and in a belief in an effective educational future for the East Valley.

Beth DeGroff Memorial Scholarship

Norman W. Fain Scholarship in Agribusiness

Mr. Fain was born at Camp Verde, AZ on February 9, 1907. A graduate of Prescott High School, he then attended Stanford University receiving a B.A. in Political Science in 1928. Mr. Fain turned down a professional boxing career to help his father save the family ranching business from the great depression. He ran his cattle in the Camp Verde area and provided a lifetime of leadership to Arizona’s cattle industry. Mr. Fain entered the political arena and served the state very well. Among his areas of service included: Arizona State Senator from Yavapai County; the Governor’s Economic Development Committee and Colorado River Water Advisory Board; the Arizona Land Department’s Advisory Board and the Central Arizona Project Association. His civic service listings are numerous.

Todd Fickle Scholarship

Richard S. Gordon Scholarship

Richard S. Gordon -- 1925-2006 -- Scientist. Teacher. Musician.
After a successful and significant career as a research scientist and director at the Monsanto Corporation in St. Louis, he traveled west to pursue a career in academic research and teaching. He arrived at Arizona State University and the Division of Agriculture with an approach to teaching acquired at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and quickly set a whole new standard. His sense of humor, enthusiasm, and obvious delight in introducing young people to the world of ideas was unique, powerful and delightful. Ideas came to life in his classroom; students discovered latent talents and abilities. He was a “big idea” person and encouraged his students to “think big.” The research bench was too small to contain his research and the world needed his approach to big questions. He never withdrew from a challenge. His research involved Indian tribes in Arizona, shrimp fisherman in China, business people in Eastern Europe and his last project as an emeritus faculty member involved reforestation in Mexico. The world was his laboratory bench. Research and ideas were his life; music was his solace.

Greer Farms Scholarship

Richard and Stephanie Grinage Player of the Year Award

The Richard and Stephanie Grinage Player of the Year Award was created to acknowledge an outstanding player/student enrolled in the Professional Golf Management Program in the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness at ASU. As the first Director of the PGM program at ASU, Richard Grinage understands and recognizes the critical importance of playing ability combined with academic achievement in the completion of the PGM degree program. This is a competitive award with playability standards set by the PGM program.

Robert Lytle Scholarship

Robert G. Lytle was a professor of agribusiness in the academic unit, the Division of Agriculture, which became the Morrison School of Agribusiness & Resource Management. He was easily the most helpful, most demanding and most resourceful professor in the division. He was totally dedicated to assisting undergraduates discover their natural abilities, stretch them beyond what they thought possible and help them start careers to capitalize on these discovered talents. As a result, he easily became the professor most often remembered by graduates and returning alumni, and he truly deserved this honor. He came to Arizona from Washington, D.C., where he assisted the Roosevelt administration in food distribution needs and assessments prompted by World War II. He started and operated the United Dairymen of Arizona and left the UDA to become an academic. He brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to Arizona State College - later University - but he brought even more. He brought a belief that the strength of any nation or industry was dependent upon its newest professionals. As a result, he had a passion for undergraduate education and a desire to help students succeed. Today, this passion and desire are rooted in his eponymous scholarship fund.

McGab Agribusiness Scholarship

Larry Novak Memorial Golf Scholarship

Nancy and Terry Isaacson started the Larry Novak Memorial Golf Scholarship in 2002 to honor Larry Novak, a golf professional and the brother of Nancy (Novak) Issacson. Mr. Novak set course records at Santiam Golf Club in Stayton, Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs and the Corvallis Country Club in central Oregon, and he played competitively on the South African Tour and the mini-tour from 1972 to 1981. Mr. Novak was known as a great teacher of the game, and he was returning to competitive golf with a goal of qualifying for the Senior PGA Tour when he died unexpectedly in December 2000. Terry Isaacson served as the wing commander at Williams Air Force Base in the mid-eighties and was instrumental in the reuse planning of Williams that resulted in the conveyance of more than 600 acres to ASU for development as the Arizona State University East campus. As the director of Administrative Services at ASU East, Mr. Isaacson assisted with the establishment of the PGM program and the development of related agreements and facilities.

Marvin and June Morrison Scholarship

On Friday, October 30, 1998, the School of Agribusiness and Resource Management was officially renamed the Morrison School of Agribusiness & Resource Management, in honor of Marvin and June Morrison. Marvin and June Morrison have served Arizona in a distinguished capacity as cotton farmers, range cattlemen, and dairymen. Both graduates of ASU, they are highly respected in the East Valley as well as the state. Their family businesses include the Morrison Farms, Morrison Brothers Ranch, Arizona Dairy Company, and Windmill Ranch. Marvin and June have been involved in numerous community organizations throughout the years. Mr. Morrison's enthusiastic leadership has been of particular importance to the Arizona Farm Bureau, the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation, and the Arizona Town Hall, which he helped to establish. He has twice been named Man of the Year in Arizona Agriculture and holds the National Partner in 4-H Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The ASU Alumni Association has recognized both June and Marvin Morrison with its Alumni Service Award. True philanthropists, the Morrisons have embraced a vision of life which demonstrates benevolence, life-long learning, respect for their fellow human being, civic responsibility, education, support for programs which foster the continued development of youth, and the true "spirit of the west": entrepreneurs in word and action. Mr. Morrison has been quoted as saying, "There is an old Indian saying that a man is not measured by what he has, but by what he gives away, and I really believe that." Marvin Morrison passed away in February, 2007.

Ken Payne Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is named in honor of Kenneth Payne, who was instrumental in the development of the Professional Golf Management Program at what was then ASU East. As a graduate student in the Morrison School of Agribusiness & Resource Management, he identified the opportunity of establishing a PGM program at ASU East. He studied the need for this offering and contacted many professionals in the golf industry to gain their support for a PGA-certified PGM program. He helped write the first proposal to the PGA to establish the PGM program. Kenneth passed away in the fall of 2000. This scholarship will honor his contribution in perpetuity.

PGA Diversity Scholarship

Pinal County Federal Credit Union Scholarship

Robert Wayne Power Memorial Award

Larry Power, Alexa Jones, and Celeste Pope established the Robert Wayne Power Memorial Award to fulfill a lifelong desire of their father, Wilbur Power. Wayne was their father's brother and close friend; he passed away when still a young man. Wilber, Wayne and his parents farmed land in Lehi (a community that is now a part of Mesa) and Queen Creek. Wayne died at the age of 16 from an infection. When Arizona State University established the Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Wilbur decided the best way to honor Wayne would be to establish a scholarship or fellowship in his name at the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness. Larry, Alexa, and Celeste remember their father mentioning his dream several times over the years. Unfortunately, Wilbur passed away before he could establish the award. To honor Wilbur, his children have chosen to carry out their father's dream.

Solheim Professional Golf Management Scholarship

Karsten and Louise Solheim and the Solheim family have been truly generous friends of Arizona State University over the years. The Solheims’ $2,000,000 gift to fund construction of the Karsten Golf Course represented for many years the largest cash gift ever received by ASU. As one of the world’s golf legends, Karsten Solheim had (and continues to have) a major impact on his chosen sport. His legacy reaches far beyond the design and manufacturing of golf clubs, although his design of an innovative putter in his garage in 1959 blossomed into a full line of PING clubs and golfing paraphernalia produced by Karsten Manufacturing Co., one of the world’s largest manufacturers and among the state’s largest employers. His generous and loyal support of ASU’s golfing program has made a lasting impact and has contributed to the outstanding records of accomplishment in both men’s and women’s golf.

Southwest Section PGA Scholarship

Phil Stiles Scholarship in Agribusiness

James J. Sweitzer Memorial Scholarship for Graduate Education in Agribusiness

The James J. Sweitzer Memorial Endowment was established in the ASU Foundation in November 1986 by his nephew, Mr. Mark D. Litt of New York City, and his niece, Mrs. Susan McLeod of Toronto, Canada. A resident of Arizona for over 50 years, J.J. Sweitzer was involved in agribusiness in the Valley of the Sun during that period.

Ed Thirkhill Memorial Scholarship