Douglas-Cartwright-Brown scholarship endowed
By submitted, 12/17/19 8:33 AMHOPE – Dr. Ladell Douglas recently established the Douglas-Cartwright-Brown Endowed Scholarship at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana. The donation is given in memory of the parents of Dr. Ladell Douglas, E.D. and Hesterly Douglas, his son Elvan Douglas, and the parents of Elaine Douglas, George and Mary Cartwright. The scholarship is also given in honor of Dr. Douglas’ children Yolanda Williams and Ethan Douglas, and their mother, Constance Brown.
Douglas said the inspiration for establishing the scholarship derived from his grandmother, who instilled in his family the importance of education many years ago. “My grandmother encouraged my father and all of her children to go to school. Four out of her nine kids attended college; that’s not so bad for that day and age,” said Douglas.
Ladell’s father, E.D. Douglas, and two of his aunts–one of which received her Ph.D. in Psychology and taught at Grambling University–eventually became school teachers. “I remember my father always telling me to ‘shoot for the sky,’ and I could become anything I wanted to be. Once, when I was around eight years old, he told me that if I’d work hard, I could become a doctor one day. I had never even seen a doctor at that point, but he was right,” Douglas said.
The Douglas family moved from Emerson, Arkansas, to Hope, where they lived until he was ten years old. “My family homesteaded in Hope around where the old migrant center is now located. Mother and father were both involved in the community, and they both served terms on the quorum court while living in Hope.” The Douglas family moved from Hope in 1951. During his time away, Ladell furthered his education and eventually became a pediatrician. He met and married his wife Elaine, and forty years later moved back to his hometown to open his pediatrics practice.
“If not for the help and encouragement that I received from members of my family and others, I may never have reached my goal of earning a higher education degree. I hope this scholarship will help pass that encouragement on to others for a long time to come,” Douglas said.
UAHT Chancellor Chris Thomason said the college is so fortunate to have the support of Dr. Ladell and Elaine Douglas. “Dr. Douglas has always demonstrated the highest level of commitment to bettering his community in all areas of life. He has been a dedicated physician, community advocate, and volunteer since returning to Hope and Hempstead County. He is involved in every effort to have a positive impact on the quality of life and individual opportunity in our area. His commitment to UAHT and our students is undeniable based on his years of service on the UAHT Foundation Board of Directors. With this endowment, Dr. Douglas is not only modeling the importance of education in the life of a student, but he is also helping guarantee access to those who follow his lead and grow through educational attainment,” said Thomason.
Preference for the scholarship is given to a student pursuing a career in health professions. For more information about UAHT scholarships, please call 870-722-8516 or visit uaht.edu.
Pictured left to right: Chris Thomason, UAHT Chancellor; Elaine Douglas; and Dr. Ladell Douglas.
