By Katie Stacy

The agricultural communications program will help more students financially beginning in fall 2006, thanks to the Beth Lilly Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship is named for Beth Lilly, an agricultural journalist from Enid, Okla. Lilly made great contributions to the Enid area during her time as an agricultural reporter for the Enid News and Eagle.

According to Butch Meibergen of Johnson Grain, Lilly was a great friend to agriculture.

“She took it to heart in the Enid area,” Meibergen said. “She knew everybody; she knew the industry.”

Meibergen said Lilly’s continued involvement and support for agriculture in the area, even after retirement, was one of the reasons they chose to endow the scholarship in her name.

“We wanted to do more scholastically for Oklahoma State,” Meibergen said. “When Ms. Lilly past away, we decided it would be nice to do one [scholarship] in her name.”

Johnson Grain of Enid will endow the scholarship, which will be awarded to an agricultural communications sophomore, junior or senior enrolled at Oklahoma State University who has exhibited leadership in agricultural communications and student activities. Eligible students must demonstrate academic achievement and promise for making contributions to news writing or agricultural publications.

The departmental scholarship committee will select the recipient for the $1,000 scholarship.

The scholarship will help students wanting to follow in Lilly’s footsteps. The first recipient will be announced at the spring departmental banquet.