Dr. Luther A. Beale Memorial Scholarship

in Civil Engineering

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The gifts received from friends and family in memory of Dr. Luther Beale shall be used to establish the Dr. Luther A. Beale Memorial Scholarship in Civil Engineering. The recipient of any scholarship provided by the fund shall be a student in good standing and pursuing a degree from Lamar University. In the event the need for funds for this purpose is greatly reduced or eleminated, Lamar University will, after consultation with the donor or donor representative and/or civil engineering faculty, direct the use of the fund in the best interest of the University and as close to the original intent as possible. In the absence of the donor or donor representative, then the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System will, in consultation with the president of Lamar University, direct the use of the fund in the best interest of the University and as close to the original intent as possible. The identity of the fund shall be retained and will alsways bear the name indicated by the donor.

BACKGROUND:

Dr. Luther A. Beale was born on July 30, 1923, in Jacksonville, Florida and died on Sunday, May 27, 2001, in Beaumont, Texas. He spent most of his "growing up" years in and around Savannah, Georgia. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church. Dr. Beale was deeply appreciative of God's Saving Grace, and was often quoted saying "There's someone looking out for me, and I know who it is ... It's the Lord!".

Dr. Beale served in the United States Navy Construction Battalion (the "Seabees") in the South Pacific during World War II. He served his country at both Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

He received his B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He taught math and engineering at Georgia Tech before coming to Lamar University in 1955 as chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering. Under Dr.Beale's guidance, Lamar's Civil Engineering Department became nationally accredited.

He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas in Austin in 1966. Upon his retirement from Lamar in 1984, a new wing of the Cherry Engineering Building was named the "Dr. Luther A. Beale Structures Laboratory."

Shortly before his death, he was named a "Fellow" by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Dr. Beale is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his sister, Virginia Lake of E. Dublin, Georgia; three sons, Luther A. Beale, Jr. of Conyers, Georgia, Richard R. Beale of Austin, and Ronald W. Beale of Houston; one daughter, Lynne Murray of Conyers, Georgia; six granddaughters, Kimberly, Stacey, Crystal, Victoria, Elizabeth, and Katherine; and one great-grandson, Justin Bobbitt.

ELECTION OF RECIPIENTS:

Recipients will be selected by a committee appointed by the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

(1) Major/Degree - The recipient must be pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering.

(2) SAT/ACT Scores - Minimum 1100 for entering freshmen.

(3) Overall GPA - Minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

(3) Class Level - Open to all class levels including graduate students.

(4) Class Load Requirements - Full-time student in Civil Engineering.