In honor of the 25th anniversary of Grizzly Athletics at Missouri State University-West Plains, local residents and Grizzly Athletics enthusiasts Jack and Inez Pahlmann recently established a scholarship for the athletics program.

The Pahlmann 25th Anniversary Grizzly Endowed Scholarship will be awarded annually to a member of the Grizzly Volleyball team and the Grizzly Basketball team.

“The Pahlmanns have been staunch supporters of Missouri State University-West Plains and Grizzly Athletics from the beginning, and this gift is the perfect way to conclude our 25th year for the program,” Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett said. “Their support and leadership are an example for all Grizzly fans.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, student-athletes must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours of study. They also must display personal integrity and character, leadership qualities, the potential to succeed academically and the ability to represent the university with excellence, according to the scholarship guidelines developed by the Pahlmanns.

Each scholarship may be renewed automatically as long as the recipients maintain satisfactory academic progress and meet all eligibility requirements, according to the guidelines.

The scholarship will be added to the Grizzly Athletics endowment, which currently holds assets of nearly $1.5 million. Funds in the endowments are never spent for any purpose, and their earnings are used annually for college scholarships, university officials explained.

The Pahlmann 25th Anniversary Grizzly Endowed Scholarship fund is open-ended, which means additional contributions may be made in the future, university officials said.

For more information about the about the scholarship and ways to give to Missouri State-West Plains, call the development office at 417-255-7240 or email WPDevelopment@MissouriState.edu.