Serving humanity

William W. Chapman (Class of 1970), a Raceland native, graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts and a teaching certificate. He later earned a graduate degree in industrial education.

As an active member of Theta Chi Fraternity, he served in the Kentucky National Guard from 1969-1975. He graduated from the Army Officer Candidate School and held various combat engineer officer positions.

After retiring from the U.S. Army National Guard in 1992, he had a successful career as an industrial arts teacher and woodworking machine operator foreman for UNICOR Federal Correctional Institution.

Now, in his retirement, he is giving back to MSU by establishing the William W. Chapman Scholarship Endowment. This scholarship is available to full-time undergraduate active members of Theta Chi Fraternity who have a minimum 2.0 GPA.

William lives in Ashland with his wife, Linda, a pediatric nurse.

Veteran’s legacy of service

For decades, the late Col. William E. Barber (Class of 1964) served his country proudly and honorably in significant military campaigns such as World War II and the Korean War. To honor his service, a group of veterans from Morgan County, organized by Resvie Wheeler, established the Col. William E. Barber Scholarship in 1995. His daughter, Sharon Barber, generously gifted the scholarship, which is now endowed at the $25,000 level.

He was born in Dehart and grew up on a farm before graduating from Morgan County High School and attending Morehead State University. During World War II and the Korean War, he earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart Medals and was one of 17 men to receive the Medal of Honor for the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. After retiring as a colonel in 1970, he returned to MSU to complete his degree and graduated in 1964.

The proceeds from this endowment benefit future generations of MSU students from Eastern Kentucky, keeping his legacy of service alive.

Lewis’ legacy lives on

A Morehead native, Steve Lewis attended the Breckinridge Training School on the campus of MSU. Although his college career took him a little further north to Anderson University, Steve later returned to Morehead to start a family. He remained in Morehead, growing his family business, the C. Roger Lewis Agency, and specializing in real estate, insurance and auctioneering.

He returned to MSU’s campus and taught real estate courses, served on the MSU Foundation Board of Directors and volunteered each year as an auctioneer at MSU’s Annual Spring Gala.

When Steve passed away in 2016 at the age of 65, his estate held previously-laid plans to establish the Stephen D. Lewis Scholarship Endowment at MSU. The scholarship will support students studying in a business program and will honor Steve’s lifelong commitment to the Morehead community.