September 25, 2006

Lyon College student Josh Looney is the first beneficiary of a scholarship established to honor one of the College’s most influential leaders.

Last year, the Board of Trustees of Lyon College established the Dan C. West Endowed Scholarship in honor of Lyon’s 14^th president, who served from 1972-1988. The scholarship was made possible through an endowment created by the R.E.L. Wilson Trust of Wilson, Ark.

The West Scholarship will provide one full-tuition scholarship each year, renewable for up to eight semesters of full-time study as long as the recipient achieves and maintains a 3.2 cumulative grade point average.

Looney, who comes from Springdale, Ark., said he was "honored" when he found he had received the West Scholarship.

"My parents and I were extremely excited when I opened the Lyon Scholarship Packet that came in the mail," he said. "The West Scholarship, as a full tuition and mandatory fees scholarship, will help me for the next four years at Lyon College to achieve my bachelor’s degree."

He plans on pursuing a double major in English and Spanish with a double minor in international studies and political science.

"I’d like to attend law school after I graduate, maybe somewhere like Cornell," he said. "But I’ve also dreamed about studying in London, England. I’d love to work in the international relations field."

Looney said he’d like to thank Dr. Terrell Tebbetts for "being welcoming and receptive to questions during Accepted Students Day in April."

"I’d also like to thank two of my high school teachers, Wendell Nothdurft and Kay Rossetti, for the excellent dedication and care they put into their students," he added.

West Scholars are selected by the president of the College upon the recommendation of the Office of Enrollment Services. In selecting the award recipients, the College seeks students of exceptional promise who are likely to make outstanding contributions to Lyon. 

Denny Bardos, Lyon’s vice president for Enrollment Services, said Looney is "gregarious, personable, and friendly," and that, coupled with his dedication to his studies, made choosing him as the first West Scholar an easy task.

"Josh is a wonderful young man, and he excelled in the classroom and was very involved in many extracurricular activities," Bardos said. "We were confident that Josh would also contribute to the Lyon College community."

The College considers high school performance, leadership and service outside the classroom and performance on standardized tests as criteria in making the selection. The scholarship is reserved for Arkansas residents and recipients are expected to live on campus. 

Dan C. West became the 14^th president of Lyon (then Arkansas College) in 1972. He is a graduate of Austin College, Union Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University and Harvard University.

Dr. West’s educational career includes positions at Austin College, Carroll College and Union College. He currently serves as vice president of development at Swarthmore College.

"For more than 30 years, Dan West has served higher education with distinction and courage," Dr. Walter Roettger, president of Lyon, said when the scholarship was established. "President West led the College forward from the devastating impact of the 1973 tornado. His 16-year tenure as president of Lyon College was marked by growth in enrollment and endowment, by construction, and by increased visibility. Dan and Sidney West brought energy, dynamism and vision to this campus. We are very grateful to the R.E.L. Wilson Trust for this generous gift. It honors one of the very best."

The College made the first of many appearances in U.S. News & World Report as one of the best regional colleges in the South under Dr. West’s leadership.

Dr. West and his wife, Sidney, established the West Endowed String Concert Series in 1981 to offer live musical performances or stringed instrument instruction at Lyon.