True Blue Love Story

Editor's Letter

by Drew Ruble

From the deepest bonds of a lasting romance is emerging a lasting legacy that will help MTSU students for a long time.

Hanna and Don Witherspoon

Longtime donor Don Witherspoon recently made a $25,000 gift to fund the Hanna Romans Witherspoon Endowed Scholarship in honor of his wife. Both are alumni.

Dale Clifford, a Psychology major with minors in Social Welfare and Musical Theatre, is the first recipient of the scholarship created for Honors College undergraduates who work as library student assistants. On track to graduate in December, Clifford is working on an Honors thesis studying the positive effects of music therapy in school.

Honors College Dean John Vile has known the Witherspoons well for years.

“Not all scholarships have a love story behind them, but this one is especially poignant because it was a gift from Don to his wife, whom he had met while she was working at the University library,” Vile said.

Nearly 60 years ago, a chance meeting blossomed into romance after Don dashed into the library to return a book. Last year, for Hanna’s birthday, Don had an idea. “She has everything she needs,” he said, “and I thought this would be a nice way to honor her.” Hanna, a Czech national born in the Philippines, came to Tennessee at age 6 after her mother married an American soldier from Pikeville.

For all four years of her college life, Hanna worked in the library. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1964, married Don in August after they both graduated that year, and retired in 1999 following careers in secondary school education and with American Airlines.

Since the Witherspoons moved to Murfreesboro in 2000, she’s been involved with numerous philanthropic groups, including Alive Hospice, the United Way, MTSU Foundation, and MTSU Alumni Association.

“Don and Hanna have been stalwart alumni and loyal supporters of the Honors College,” Vile said.

The Witherspoons also have created scholarships for incoming freshmen and recently made a $500,000 commitment to the Build Blue athletics campaign for facilities improvements (see page 31).

Clifford, a senior from Cottontown who is interested in music therapy, said the $1,000 award provides an opportunity to expand his academic career and possibly help pay for graduate school.

“This scholarship will help my family . . . not have to struggle with loans, which takes so much stress off of us,” Clifford said.

To learn more about the scholarship, contact MTSU’s director of development initiatives at paul.wydra@mtsu.edu.