Trailblazing athlete

Marshall D. Banks (Class of 1962) was a notable and integral figure in athletics at MSU. A trailblazer in the collegiate athletic world during the civil rights movement, he enrolled in MSU in 1958 and was the first Black athlete to receive an Ohio Valley Conference athletic scholarship. He joined the basketball and track and field teams, where he was an all-conference student-athlete.

He returned to MSU as faculty and head coach of track & field in 1965, becoming the OVC’s first Black head coach. Marshall went on to teach at Howard University until his retirement in 2008. He passed away in 2020.

The Marshall Banks Memorial Scholarship assists with textbook purchasing and honors his commitment to education and carries on his legacy as an Eagle. This award paves the way for students to fulfill their dreams.

Giving back

This is one thing that was a no-brainer for both Dr. Patrick Osborne (Class of 2001, 2002) and his wife, Annie. They both believed that nothing great they ever achieved was on their own, but yet it was always the result of remarkable teamwork or many loving, caring people investing and pouring back into them.

With this in mind, their goal was to pay forward the same type of support they received. As a result, the Dr. Patrick Osborne Scholarship was established.

A standout football player, his experience inspired his life’s trajectory. He continued a passion for higher education and became a faculty member at Travecca Nazarene University in Tennessee upon the completion of a doctoral degree.

A proud Eagle, Patrick remains involved and has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. The scholarship supported by Patrick and his family is awarded to senior marketing majors in the Elmer R. Smith College of Business and Technology.

Beloved professor’s legacy

Upon the passing of their husband and father, Dr. James E. Gotsick , the Gotsick family knew they needed to commemorate his commitment to education. Recognizable by his signature handlebar mustache, he was a beloved professor of psychology at MSU, where he taught for 33 years.

The Gotsick family established the Dr. James E. Gotsick Memorial Scholarship to honor their late husband and father. The scholarship provides an annual award to a student utilizing the Office of Disability Services.

Three times an Eagle

Peg Morrow Jones (Class of 1970, 1972, 1975) is an exemplary Eagle, graduating three times and working at the University for many years. Even after retirement, she remained involved, serving on the Retirees Association Board and establishing the Peg Morrow Jones Scholarship Endowment.

Her gift includes a renewable scholarship for an English major and the naming of the Morrow Family Fireplace in the Adron Doran University Center in memory of her parents. Peg’s loyalty to MSU lives on.