WEST PLAINS, Mo. – In the spirit of those who established Missouri State University-West Plains nearly 50 years ago, campus officials presented life-long West Plains resident and university benefactor Jeanette Grisham with the prestigious Granvil Vaughan Founder’s Award during Saturday’s Missouri State-West Plains commencement ceremonies at the West Plains Civic Center.
The award, named in honor of the campus’ founder, the late Missouri State Rep. Granvil Vaughan, was presented to Grisham by Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett. In its 12th year, the award is given annually at commencement to recognize individuals who have made a significant impact upon the mission of Missouri State-West Plains.
“Jeanette Grisham has been a faithful and strong supporter of this campus for many, many years,” Bennett said. “She is a leader who saw how our educational programs could fuel the economic growth of West Plains, and she helped articulate that into a vision and a narrative within this community.”
Grisham’s support of Missouri State-West Plains dates back to the donation of Kellett Hall in 1973 by her mother, Ruth Kellett, in memory of Kellett’s late husband and Grisham’s father, Howard Kellett. More recently, Grisham and her family established a building endowment for Kellett Hall to help with the building’s future preservation.
The Kellett residence was the first permanent home for the West Plains campus. Until this time, the West Plains Residence Center, as it was then known, had used facilities at West Plains High School, which limited classes to late afternoon and evening hours. This new facility allowed the campus to offer classes during the day – a major step forward in establishing the West Plains campus as an institution of higher education.
Grisham always has been a strong supporter of campus activities. She was a charter member of the Friends of the Garnett Library in 1992 and is now a lifetime member of the organization. She has contributed every year to the Missouri State-West Plains annual fund since its inception and has sponsored the annual auction. She also is a member of the Missouri State University Foundation Founders Club.
Since July 2001, Grisham has served on the Missouri State-West Plains development board, which helps promote an environment for gaining and sustaining community support to advance the future of the campus. She received director emeritus status for the group in 2007 and continues to regularly attend its meetings. In addition, she is a founding and active member of the Philanthropic Women for Education group, which presently funds the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program professorship.
LIFE-LONG WEST PLAINS resident and university benefactor Jeanette Grisham received the prestigious Granvil Vaughan Founder’s Award during Saturday’s Missouri State-West Plains commencement ceremonies at the West Plains Civic Center. Above, Grisham receives the award from Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett, left. In the background are commencement speaker Shaun Hayes, a Thayer native and prominent St. Louis-area banker, and Missouri State University Board of Governor member Mary Sheid, right. (Missouri State-West Plains Photo)