Annual Giving

Professor Bill Turpin '44, a veteran of 25 years in the U.S. foreign service and a member of the economics faculty at Appalachian State University since 1974, has recently put up a quarter of his $20,000-a-year salary for annual scholarships there. The awards, which he says will be given "indefinitely - or as long as I can afford it," will honor John Sloan Dickey, whose 24 years as president of Dartmouth began after Turpin graduated.

The purpose of the scholarships is to "recognize and stimulate academic excellence." The senior and junior with the highest grades in liberal arts or economics will receive $1,500 each, and the two with the second-highest grades will get $1,000 - and there are no strings attached. "This is what I'd rather do with my money than anything else I can think of," Turpin explained. Last year, he established an annual $1,000 award to the Appalachian State student who does the most for choral music at the university.

The reason for honoring Dickey, Turpin said, is because he exemplifies a blend of liberal learning, public service, and devotion to teaching, and because "I believe he is one of the great men of our time."