NGU News


Endowment Named After Beloved Professor Expands with Gift

Posted on: February 4, 2021
By LaVerne Howell, laverne.howell@ngu.edu

Thrasher groupTigerville, SC (December 18, 2019) Because of a faculty member’s love for North Greenville University’s (NGU) History Department, history instructor Rosemary Thrasher and her husband Steven decided to leave a part of Rosemary with NGU when she retires.

The Dr. Shirley Ann Hickson Endowment Fund, initiated in December 2010 by retired and long-time history professor Dr. Shirley Hickson, was established to support North Greenville University’s mission of providing quality education in a Christ-centered environment. A gift by the Thrashers in November, has significantly enlarged the corpus of the fund.

“Dr. Shirley Hickson, my closest friend at North Greenville University for many years, had already set up a fund to help history professors and students extend their learning outside the classroom. I hope this will help with traveling for research, attending conferences, and going on field trips,” said Thrasher. “I wanted to support our shared vision for our History Department by giving some of my mother’s estate to that fund.”

In recognition of this gift, the university amends the name of the fund to the Dr. Shirley Ann Hickson and Rosemary Nelson Thrasher Endowment Fund. The new fund will be used to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the university’s Department of History by providing financial assistance for faculty members to visit pertinent historical sites and attend professional meetings connected to the subjects taught in upper-level courses.

The new fund also can be used to assist in creating new courses, bringing special speakers to campus, funding small research projects, or providing funds for student travel to participate in academic conferences.

“When my mother, Mary Frances Nelson, left me her estate, I knew she wanted some of it to go to the Lord’s work. I could not think of a better place to invest it than in the education and the lives of the history students that we are training at North Greenville University, where Christ makes the difference,” Rosemary said.

“We are grateful for the Thrashers’ vision to enhance this endowed fund and honor Dr. Hickson,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “This gift will create learning opportunities for our students and faculty. The gift also serves as an outstanding example of how members of our faculty are committed to investing in the great mission of this university.”

“I am very excited about this generous gift from our long-time instructor, Rosemary Thrasher,” said Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences and Chair of the History Department Dr. H. Paul Thompson, Jr. “No professor cares for their students more than Mrs. Thrasher does. This gift beautifully aligns with Mrs. Thrasher’s long-standing passion for teaching history in a Christ-centered manner. I am very excited about how these funds will enrich and deepen the learning of future students and professors in the department. We are blessed!”

Rosemary says, “My hope and prayer is that the use of the Hickson-Thrasher Endowment will increase our students’ enthusiasm for history. I hope it will help them integrate their Christian faith with their historical learning, and encourage them to use their research skills to serve the community.”

Learn more about NGU’s History program.

Photo: From left: Dr. H. Paul Thompson, Jr., Steven Thrasher, Rosemary Thrasher, NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr.

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