Today the Texarkana Pan Hellenic Council donated the monies remaining from the Colored Library land sale to the Robert Jones Scholarship fund at Texarkana College.
JoAnn Rice explained, “In 1978, the city of Texarkana, Texas, bought the land where the colored library had previously been to build the Texarkana Public Library. Author McNeal, Phi Beta Sigma, and Helen Mitchell, Zeta Phi Beta, put the money in an account for scholarship funds for African Americans.”
Both McNeal and Mitchell were memebers of Texarkana Pan Hellenic Council. The organization consists of seven of the nine African American fraternities and sororities in Texarkana.
Melva Flowers, the organization’s president, spoke about the donation. “Low interest rates were dipping into the remainder of the balance for scholarships. The council decided to donate the entire funds to the Robert Jones Scholarship.”
Robert Jones is Texarkana College’s Dean of Students and a Math Professor. Two years ago his students established a scholarship in his name to honor him when he had gotten ill. He said, “I remember when I first found out about the scholarship. It was so overwhelming that they would even consider setting one up.”
When asked his thoughts about his scholarship receiving the check today, Jones said, “I’m thrilled and in awe that they would even consider doing it. I am mostly thrilled at all the students it will help.”
