This scholarship is in honor of Mr. Thomas Eugene Oody (1926 – 2015). Mr. Oody, a Southern Baptist Missionary to Liberia, served at Ricks Institute from 1963 to 1978, including many years as its principal.

Under Mr. Oody’s leadership, Ricks expanded its teaching and extracurricular capacity to include top tier instructions in business, music, agriculture and competitive sport programs. During his 15 years at Ricks, Mr. Oody made indelible marks on the lives of his many students, including personally assisting students; within Liberia and the USA. His excellence in teaching and disseminating math concepts and as an educator, counselor, and father figure to his students made a lasting impact on the trajectory of their lives; including that of Mr. Samuel G. Russ, who is establishing this scholarship in honor of Mr. Oody’s legacy, influence and service.

Mr. Oody received his B.S. degree from Carson-Newman College, M.A. in secondary education from Humboldt State College (now Humboldt State University) and additional graduate studies at Purdue University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of “FROM THE CORN FIELD INTO GOD’S VINEYARD”, other books and many hymns.

The T. Eugene Oody Scholarship for Academic Excellence honors the legacy of T. Eugene Oody and all that he stood for (including his love of education, exceptional teaching skills, mentoring and inspiring, etc.) through this annual contribution. The Scholarship is granted to a student at Ricks student who exhibits excellence in mathematics with an average of 90% or greater.

Scholarship Type: Merit Based (Academic)

Endowment: $1,000 USD

Scholarship Eligibility: Awarded to a student with 90% or greater in Math.

Grades: 10 - 12

Also taken into consideration are: (a) the student’s overall contribution as a member of the Ricks Community, (b) recommendation by Ricks Administration and (c) the student’s application essay (the essay will be included in the scholarship application form).