Norma Woodall Brown was a firm believer in giving people second chances. Even though she didn’t have the opportunity to attend college, she believed in the value of higher education. Because of an endowed scholarship in her memory, Brown’s wish to help University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students in need of second chances in their undergraduate degree pursuits is today a reality. Doug Brown, a UTC alumnus, has established the Norma Woodall Brown Memorial Scholarship to honor his mother. As an endowed scholarship, it will carry on in perpetuity; in essence, it is a gift that keeps on giving. “I’m a self-proclaimed mama’s boy, and the reason I wanted to do this scholarship and help others was to honor her,” says Brown, 6
UNIVERSITY OF CHATTANOOGA FOUNDATION
now the chair of the UC Foundation. “She was a lady that I would say had grit and she obviously meant a whole lot to me. “My mom was a real inspiration and a tough lady. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38 and never complained. She went cancer-free for five years, then the cancer came back as bone cancer. And again, she never complained, never talked about dying.” Norma Woodall Brown passed away on Dec. 24, 1989, at the age of 54. “My mom didn’t get a chance to go to college,” Brown continues. “Her family was financially disadvantaged; her dad died of tuberculosis at a young age and there were no means for her to go to school. “That’s the whole crux behind this scholarship, her grit and being a big believer in second chances.” With that mindset, Brown set out to fashion a scholarship that would best embody his mother’s beliefs. It is intended for older, non-traditional students (25 years and older) pursuing undergraduate degrees and having course credit accumulation equal to that of a senior. It is designed for those whose lives got in the way. Such as those who find themselves a single parent or supporting a family or
