A Texarkana resident has made a significant contribution to support healthcare education in the region.
Thomas Allen Jones donated $70,000 to the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Foundation on Tuesday to establish the Pioneer Families of South Arkansas Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship will benefit UAHT students pursuing health professions degrees.
“The donation was made to memorialize the founding families who settled in South Arkansas and to encourage them to support education in the area,” Jones said.
Jones presented the gift during a community meet-and-greet for new UAHT Chancellor Dr. Ricky Tompkins at the university’s Texarkana campus. This marks Jones’ second endowed scholarship at UAHT, following the Lorenza A. Miers Memorial Endowed Scholarship established in 2020. He also named the UAHT Foundation as beneficiary of two life insurance policies that will eventually fund two additional endowed scholarships for students in healthcare and business programs.
A 1951 graduate of Lewisville High School, Jones earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Engineering from Arkansas A&M University in Monticello in 1955, followed by a Master of Science in Forestry and Industrial Management from Purdue University in 1957. He worked as a management science instructor at Purdue before joining Kimberly-Clark Corporation as Manager of Project Development, retiring in 1981.
“My family was the original settlers in the Patmos area in southern Hempstead County, where I grew up, and I still have many relatives who live there,” Jones said. “When I returned to the area after retiring, I was pleased to learn about the great work UAHT was doing around my hometown. I hope this scholarship will help continue that work, help add to the local economy, and help the area grow.”
Kelly Wilcox, Director of the UAHT Foundation, expressed appreciation for Jones’ generosity and encouraged others with deep roots in the area to consider similar contributions.
For more information about UAHT Foundation scholarships or to make a donation, contact Kelly Wilcox at 870-722-8516 or kelly.wilcox@uaht.edu.