The Ellington Family’s lifelong commitment to education Life in Kentucky in the 1930s was a lot different than it is today and many students attending Morehead State arrived by train or on horses and some arrived on foot, like Lindsay Ellington (Class of 1940, 1953). He and his wife, Hazel, lived nearly 30 miles from campus. They taught in one-room rural schools and farmed on the side. During the summer, he would set out on foot for MSU, traveling to campus on Sunday afternoon and returning home on Friday evening. He graduated in 1940 and earned a master’s degree in 1953. He had a 40-year career in education in Bath and Menifee counties. Lindsay and Hazel’s commitment to education left an impression on their children. Five of the six Ellington children attended MSU: Vivian Ellington Hogge (Class of 1953), R. W. “Ruby” Ellington (Class of 1959), Arye Ellington Dethmers (Class of 1963) and Evelyn Ellington Sallee (Class of 1965). Earl Franklin Ellington attended for two years and then transferred to the University of Kentucky. The eldest son, Lindsay Ellington Jr., had a successful military career, retiring as a chief warrant officer from the U.S. Army, and served with the Federal Aviation Administration. The family’s commitment to education was strong – R.W. served as a coach, teacher, principal, supervisor, and school board member in Bracken and Owen counties. Evelyn was a kindergarten teacher at Mt. Healthy Schools. Vivian began teaching in a oneroom schoolhouse in Morehead and became a professor at Colorado State University. Earl Franklin earned a Ph.D., working at Oregon State University and the University of Nebraska. Arye was the only college graduate who did not go into education. She earned a master’s degree from Purdue University and worked in management in 42
MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY THE MAGAZINE: 2024
the consumer products industry. Lindsay and Hazel Ellington Even though her career was not education, her work at S.C. Johnson & Son and her volunteer efforts centered around learning, advocating for women in education and business. She was inducted into the MSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 1995 and served on the MSU Foundation Board from 1996 to 2002. When the Ellington parents, Lindsay and Hazel, passed away, Arye and her brother, Earl Franklin, encouraged the family to establish a scholarship to honor their parents’ legacy. In 1995, the children created the Lindsay R. and Hazel R. Ellington Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship supports education students from Bath, Menifee, or Rowan counties. “The Ellington family is honored for the opportunity to provide scholarships to qualifying students from the area where we grew up” said Arye. “We also hope the scholarships we provide will remind recipients that prior generations of MSU graduates believe in them and support their educational journey.” Since its establishment, the Ellington fund has continued to grow with the endowment value soaring to over $260,000. Thanks to the Ellington family’s generosity, more than 100 students have received this scholarship, now valued at $2,000 a year per student, with multiple students selected annually. The Ellington family remains committed to MSU. At their annual family reunion, there’s one common element-a scholarship endowment update. The Ellington family is a testament to how parental commitment to education can be passed down for generations to come.
