Colleagues, friends and family of Tom Courtway gathered at the University of Central Arkansas on Dec. 22 to celebrate the endowment of a scholarship that was started in honor of his leadership during the university’s transitional period, but it was his mother, Betty Courtway, who was truly honored.
Courtway, who served as interim president for part of 2008 and 2009 and has resumed his position as chief legal counsel for the university, decided he wanted the scholarship named in recognition of his mother, a former Faulkner County educator.Shelley Mehl, interim vice president of institutional advancement, said the idea for the scholarship came when UCA senior staff sought a way to recognize Courtway for his service as interim president. Mehl remembered Courtway saying he wanted to work on developing a tribute to his mother, so with the help of several of Courtway’s friends, Woody Cummins, Terry Fiddler, Luke Gordy and Brad Teague, more than $30,000 in private funds was raised to endow a scholarship that would be named in honor of his mother.
“Mother, I love you. You know that,” Courtway said before a crowd at UCA