Connections that last

For Ron Griffith (Class of 1965, 1966) and his wife Patty, a trip back to Morehead was something they put on their annual to do list. They didn’t just make the trip to visit Ron’s alma mater or celebrate Homecoming, they made the trip to visit their friends, the late MSU President Dr. C. Nelson Grote and his wife Wilma.

Ron’s relationship with Dr. Grote began during his time as a student and continued at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, where they later worked together. Patty also attended Morehead State and dedicated her life to education, serving as an instructor for the Early Childhood Education Center at Schoolcraft College, where she helped train preschool teachers.

Upon retirement, the couple moved back to Kentucky and became involved with the MSU Alumni Association. Longtime supporters of higher education, the Griffiths decided to start a scholarship fund, the Ronald and Patty Griffith Scholarship Endowment. This endowment, valued at over $120,000, will provide scholarships to Pike County residents.

“It was difficult enough to get out of Eastern Kentucky and go to college in the 1960s and it is still a challenge for students today. I have a soft spot for Eastern Kentucky, and especially for Morehead,” Ron said. “So many students in Eastern Kentucky struggle and many of them think college is way out of their reach. That is why we created this endowment to help make college possible for future students.”

The couple remains involved in MSU events and Ron has served as a member of the MSU Foundation’s Board of Trustees. To honor their commitment to MSU, the library in the Adron Doran University Center is named the Ron and Patty Griffith Alumni Library.

Eagle pride inspires scholarship

For Todd (Class of 1989) and Stephanie Phillips (Class of 1989), MSU is a point of pride in their history, and they proudly carry their blue and gold pride across the state line into Cincinnati.

Todd graduated with a degree in biology and chemistry, and Stephanie completed a degree in math education. After graduation, Todd studied veterinary medicine at The Ohio State University. He went on to spend his career as a veterinarian at Eastgate Animal Hospital in Cincinnati. Stephanie taught math at the Ohio School for the Blind.

The couple committed to establishing the Todd and Stephanie Phillips Endowment to provide scholarship support for fulltime, first-year students majoring in biology, math or a STEM-related field.