FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        June 21, 2007

DAVIS/ELLIS FAMILIES ENDOW TWO SCHOLARSHIPS AT NORTHWESTERN

            Dr. Mark Davis, his wife Jan and her sister and father have endowed two scholarships with the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Foundation. Mark Davis is a professor of psychology at the university.

            The Davises have established the Dr. Mark and Jan Davis Soccer Scholarship and her sister Julie Gunnels of Dallas and father James Ellis of Mesquite, Texas, along with the Davises, have endowed the James and Mary Ellis Psychology Scholarship.

The James and Mary Ellis Psychology Scholarship at Northwestern Oklahoma State University is discussed by (from left) Julie Gunnels, Greg Gunnels, Dr. Mark Davis, Jan Davis and James Ellis. Mark Davis is a professor of psychology at Northwestern and Julie and Jan are daughters of Ellis and his late wife.

Details of the Dr. Mark and Jan Davis Soccer Scholarship are finalized at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. From left are Steve Barrows, Ranger soccer coach; Jan Davis; Dr. Janet Cunningham, university president; Mark Davis, and Skeeter Bird, executive director of the Northwestern Foundation.

            The first award is reserved for members of the Ranger women’s soccer team and requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75. Recipients may be either freshmen or continuing students. Recommendations will be made by the university soccer coach, with the scholarship committee making the final selection.

            “Jan and I have always been impressed with the vitality of the Northwestern women’s soccer program,” Davis said, “and after they were recognized nationally as academic all-Americans, we wanted to do something to celebrate that success. Coach Steve Barrows suggested a need for scholarships, and we were pleased to be able to provide two.”

            The couple shares a passion for education and love for Northwestern. Their desire is to give back to the university, which has been good to them.

            The psychology scholarship, named for Jan Davis’ parents, is limited to psychology majors who are continuing students with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Applicants should be involved in campus organizations and activities and preference will be given to those individuals who are advancing the psychology program through campus organizations and/or service learning components.

            After Mary Ellis died in 2005, her husband and the Davises decided a scholarship would be a fitting memorial.

            James and Mary Ellis have several ties to Northwestern and Oklahoma. Their grandson Stephen Davis graduated from Northwestern in 2005 and granddaughter Katie Davis graduated in 2007 and has been admitted to graduate school at the university.

The couple met after World War II while both were working at Farm Security in Oklahoma City. They moved to Dallas where they raised their three children: Buddy, Jan and Julie. Buddy and Suzie Ellis and Greg and Julie Gunnels live in Dallas.

            James Ellis retired from a career as regional publishing and printing officer for the Internal Revenue Service and Mary Ellis worked at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas. After retirement, they enjoyed spending summers in a cabin on the Rio Grande near South Fork, Colo.

            “The psychology program in Alva, Enid and Woodward is strong and growing,” Davis said. “Scholarships for our students will motivate them to strive for the highest levels of academic excellence.

“Endowing this scholarship will help Northwestern students for many years to come. It is a great thing for the family to be able to do this and a very positive thing for students in the psychology program. We hope this scholarship gift will inspire other families to consider doing similar things for our university.”

-NW-

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