Faced with a drop in the value of our endowment and the lowest interest rates in four decades; in 2003 the Foundation Board made the decision to continue to fund our scholarships and continuing obligations but not undertake new projects.

This seemed to be true to our mission statement: "The Tom and Marye Kate Aldridge Foundation shall through charitable grants provide means whereby individuals can improve their lives; and, by attaining their fullest potential, help to improve the community where they live."

These are the scholarships being funded:

University of Oklahoma - $20,000.

Tom & Marye Kate Aldridge Scholarships in Business - $11,000
Funding one Junior and one Senior since 1996

This year's recipients:
Senior: Jessica Bramlet - International Business
Junior: Michael Bishop Jr. - Energy Management

LaVerne Aldridge Nursing Scholarship - $ 9,000
Funding (1) Junior and (1) Senior since 1998.

This year's recipients:
Senior: Amy Bullock
Junior: Amanda Watson

University of Central Oklahoma - $8,000

Homer Coker Scholarships - honoring retired Dean of School of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Funding one Junior and one Senior since 1996.

This year's recipients:
Junior: James Fraser - Spring 2006
Junior/ Senior: Alan Peters - Fall 2005/Spring 2006
Senior: Tyler Knoblock Fall 2005

College of Education: Special Education $1,000 - Since 1996 funding one or more students

This year's recipients:
Summer Moore
Vicky Tatum

President's Partner Award $ 500

This year's recipients:
Jessica Pettit

Bob E. Palmer Awards $ 300

This year's recipients:
Samantha Olsen (See Below)

Oklahoma State University at Oklahoma City - $9,000 - LaVerne Aldridge Nursing Scholarships Funding the second, third and fourth semester of Nursing studies since 1999.

This year's recipients:
Second Semester: Edward Komer
Third Semester: Amber Jones
Fourth Semester: Kari Harky

Rogers State University - $6,000 - Aldridge scholarships in Information Technology

This year's recipients:
Alex Kolosha, Jr.
Kimberly Trahan
Nicholas Pranger
Bradley Marshall
Michelle Jinks

Aldridge Foundation makes the Scholarship grants to each University, allowing each to select the recipients according to their established criteria.

Aldridge Foundation Scholarship receipients:

Samantha Olson This was a special award. The young woman has stage 4 ovarian cancer. However, she continued to come to class and do her classwork. Dr. Palmer requested that he be permitted to use a portion of the $500 per year that goes for Palmer scholarships to give her a special award. I agreed and offered a $200 prize for a presentation piece to accompany the cash award. The result was an iron sculpture, the iron rose, to symbolize courage and beauty entwined together . Jessica Pettit and her mother,Pam, recipient of the Foundation sponsored President's Partners award in Kinesiology.

The Iron Rose" the first annual Samantha Olson courage award. This award, bringing together the beauty of a rose with the strength of iron, honors a young woman who refused to allow stage four cancer to prevent her from continuing her education. It will be awarded anually to the University of Central Oklahoma School of Art and Design Student who best exhibits the strength of character that Samantha embodied.