A Longtime Friend to Shawnee State Has Found Another Way to Help SSU Students and the Community

     Ada Appleton has donated $100,000 to Poised for Tomorrow, Shawnee State’s capital campaign. The gift was used to create the Appleton Family Scholarship, which will be awarded to outstanding SSU students who exhibit financial need.

     This is Appleton’s second major donation to SSU following a charitable remainder trust she and her late husband, Dr. Donald Appleton, established in 1996.

     Appleton was able to make this second gift by taking advantage of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 which allows donors to give directly to a non-profit organization from their Individual Retirement Accounts without incurring taxes.

     When Appleton heard of this benefit, she knew that SSU was where she wanted her money to go. “What better place to put it?” Appleton said. “I wanted the money to stay here and with the way Shawnee State is growing and helping this area so much, it seems like the best place.”

     It was Appleton’s family that suggested she do a scholarship. “I immediately agreed that we should help the young people of the community,” Appleton said.

     SSU President Rita Rice Morris praised Appleton’s gift as a great benefit to the University. “Ada is a loyal friend to Shawnee State and we are so thankful for her continued support. This scholarship will provide outstanding students, who may not otherwise have the financial resources, the ability to obtain a university degree. ”

     The expansion of the scholarship program is one of the seven initiatives of Poised for Tomorrow. “The power to attract and retain motivated students is critical to the future of Shawnee State and the availability of scholarship funds is a key component to that,” Morris said. “An expanded scholarship program will allow us to attract talented individuals and potential leaders.”

     For Appleton, this gift is also a chance to give back to the community that gave Donald’s medical practice so much support. “After all, the reason I can give back is because of what the community gave us,” she said.

     Poised for Tomorrow is a $12 million capital and endowment campaign to support a broad array of campus initiatives. Those initiatives include undergraduate research, new technologies, specialized studies, faculty development, scholarships, enhanced clinical experiences and an enhanced quality of life for the region.