The Shepherd University Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of three new scholarships by Robert A. Holmes, Ph.D. Funds will be used to provide financial assistance to members of the Stubbs-Washington-Branson family who exhibit an interest in community and public service.

Holmes endowed the first of the awards, the Robert A. Holmes and Gloria Cary Holmes Scholarship, in honor of his wife, Gloria.

“Her love, caring, sharing, encouragement and support were instrumental in my success in many academic, business and civic endeavors,” he said. “This scholarship is designed to provide a tangible reflection of our joint legacy in support of Shepherd University.”

Holmes created his second award, the Priscilla L. Holmes and Genevieve Monroe Scholarship, to honor his mother, Priscilla.

“She worked hard and sacrificed much in her efforts to raise my brother and me to become successful adults,” he said. “This scholarship represents a small token of appreciation for all that she has done to ensure that we would make her proud.” Additionally, the award honors his aunt Genevieve, a former employee of the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg and treasurer of Asbury Methodist Church in Charles Town.

“She has been responsible for what I have become and what I’ve accomplished,” he said.

Holmes established his third award, the Marstella Washington and Daniel Staubs Scholarship, in honor of his grandmother Marstella.

“She instilled fundamental values that provided the guidance I’ve followed throughout my entire adult life,” he said. The award is also named for his cousin, Daniel Staubs, a graduate of Hampton University whose love, kindness, concern and belief that Holmes would grow up to be someone special encouraged him to set high personal and professional goals. Staubs was an avid bowler and sports fan who took Holmes to his first baseball game and ultimately instilled in him his own love of sports.

“He acted as my surrogate father,” said Holmes. “He was there for me from my formative years in Harlem, New York, continuing through my graduate studies at Columbia University and beyond.”

Now retired from a 34-year run in the Georgia General Assembly and a 16-year role as the director of the Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy, Holmes resides in Atlanta, Ga. He also served as an administrator and faculty member at several colleges and universities, including Columbia University and Clark Atlanta University. Holmes is still active in numerous professional and civic organizations, including the Shepherd University Foundation. He previously established the Dr. Robert A. Holmes Scholarship and the Harry V. Klug Memorial Scholarship.

To learn more about how to contribute to these scholarships, or to honor or memorialize someone by establishing a named fund through the Shepherd University Foundation, please contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, mlingenf@shepherd.edu.

or visit www.shepherd.edu/fndtnweb.