On the heels of a $400,000 cash donation to Dawson County High School last month, the estate of Pauline S. Ivey has made a second gift of $400,000 in land and cash to Lanier Technical College.
This new scholarship will focus first on residents of Dawson County who wish to attend Lanier Technical College, according to a press release from the college, but will also be open to any students in the service area after priority is given to Dawson residents.
Iveys gift is the single largest in Lanier Techs history and will establish the Pauline Ivey Scholarship Fund.
Betty Ann Bagley, trustee for the Ivey Estate, presented the gift to the college last week.
We are honored that Mrs. Bagley and Mrs. Ivey thought of our students and our college in leaving us this generous gift, said Lanier Technical College President Dr. Ray Perren. This will change so many lives of students and future students who want to get a quality education and a great job after graduation.
The Lanier Technical College Foundation will look to sell land that was donated and utilize all the funds for the Pauline Ivey Scholarship Fund. The fund already has an initial cash gift of $100,000.
Ivey passed away April 3, 2014, at the age of 97, after living most of her life in Dawson County. She moved to Cumming 12 years earlier. Ivey was the daughter of E.H. Sug and Annie Belle Stephens. She was preceded in death by her husband, Weldon Ivey; daughter, Frances Ivey; and son, Donald Ivey.
Cris Perkins, director of the Lanier Technical College Foundation said he was blown away at Iveys generosity.
Itll go a long way in helping our students, he
said. (Mrs. Ivey) was a lady who wanted to go to college and the parents had enough money to pay for one or the other her brother or her, Perkins said. Back then, her brother was the one to go to college, and it was just something that she wanted to make sure people had the opportunity to afford.
On June 2, Bagley presented a gift of $400,000 to the Dawson County Board of Education. The funds are earmarked for the school systems art program.
School Board Member Roger Slaton helped facilitate the donation.
I believe this may be the largest single contribution ever made to our school system, Slaton told the Dawson News & Advertiser. Her desire to donate came from wanting to help the art teachers who spend their personal money to fund art projects. I want to thank Ms. Betty Bagley in making the final decision.
The money will divided with $300,000 used for equipment to Dawson County High Schools performing arts center, currently under construction and scheduled to open August 2016. The remaining $100,000 will be split among the schools for supplies.