Jones endows new scholarship at UA Hope-Texarkana

Pictured left to right: Spike the Iron Horse, Kelly Wilcox, Thomas Allen Jones, and Dr. Ricky Tompkins

TEXARKANA – Thomas Allen Jones, of Texarkana, Arkansas, gifted $70,000 to the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Foundation yesterday to establish the Pioneer Families of South Arkansas Endowed Scholarship. Jones said, “The donation was made to memorialize the founding families who settled in South Arkansas and to encourage them to support education in the area.” The scholarship will be available to UAHT students pursuing a health professions degree.

The gift was presented at the UAHT Texarkana campus community meet-and-greet for the new UAHT Chancellor, Dr. Ricky Tompkins. This scholarship is the second endowed by Jones. The first is the Lorenza A. Miers Memorial Endowed Scholarship established in 2020. At the event, Jones also named the UAHT Foundation the beneficiary of two life insurance policies that will ultimately fund two additional endowed scholarships for students pursuing degrees in healthcare and business.

Jones graduated from Lewisville High School in Lewisville, Arkansas, in 1951. He continued his education at Arkansas A&M University in Monticello, Arkansas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Engineering in 1955. From there, he attended Purdue University in Indiana, where he earned a Master of Science Degree in Forestry and Industrial Management in 1957. After college, Jones worked as an Instructor of Management Science at Purdue University for two years. In 1960, he joined Kimberly-Clark Corporation as Manager of Project Development and retired 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. 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,” said Jones.

Kelly Wilcox, Director of the UAHT Foundation, said it has been interesting to learn so much about South Arkansas and the stories behind Mr. Jones’ establishment of this scholarship. “The history of education in our area continues to fascinate me,” she said. “I appreciate Mr. Jones’ generous donations, and I have no doubt there are others in our communities who have deep roots in education. I would love to hear their stories and see them honor their ancestors as well.”

For more information about the UAHT Foundation scholarships or to donate to the Foundation, contact Kelly Wilcox at 870-722-8516 or kelly.wilcox@uaht.edu.