APSU awards first Warren Scholarship for Classical Studies

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – If you grew up in Clarksville and studied Latin, chances are you know Kaye or Grady Warren. The couple taught Latin in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System for more than 40 years, and in that time they became one of the area’s biggest advocates for Classical Studies. Just last summer, one of their former students—Austin Peay State University freshman Alexander Kee—earned first place in Advanced Latin Grammar at the National Junior Classical League convention in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1997, the couple was happy to learn that Dr. Tim Winters had been hired to develop a Classical Studies program at Austin Peay State University. Over the years, they made sure his incoming students were more than ready to study the subject at the college level.

“They have educated literally thousands of local students, and they have worked summers and nights to help their kids get a leg up into college,” Winters, APSU professor of Latin, said. “They took their students to Italy and Greece. They’ve worked their hearts out.”

 Late last year, Winters decided to show his appreciation for all their hard work by developing a scholarship in their name. Winters and several former students of the Warrens are currently raising money to get the scholarship fully endowed, but last week, Winters did have enough funds to present the first Kaye and Grady Warren Scholarship to a rising APSU sophomore. The recipient of that first scholarship was their former pupil, Alexander Kee.

“It was such a surprise,” Kaye Warren said during last week’s ceremony.

“It’s really wonderful,” Grady Warren said. “He was the number one grammar student in the country.”

Kee also was surprised by the announcement, and he initially didn’t know what to say when the Warrens congratulated him.

“It’s an honor and a privilege because they are two people I look up to and respect very greatly,” he said. “Obviously, I had Mrs. Warren, she got me started into Latin. And I worked with Mr. Warren the last three summers, teaching me what I know.”

Winters said they are still accepting donations to grow the Kaye and Grady Warren Scholarship into a full endowment. For information on the scholarship and how to give, contact Matt Bucy with the APSU Office of Advancement at bucym@apsu.edu or at 931-221-7130.

APSU offers degrees in Latin, Greek and Classics—a combination of the two languages—that prepare students for graduate study in languages and archaeology, for teaching high-school Latin and other careers. For more information on the program visit /classics or contact Winters at winterst@apsu.edu.

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 Photo cutline: Mary Winters APSU Latin instructor; Alexander Kee, APSU student; Grady Warren, Kaye Warren, Dr. Tim Winters, APSU professor of Classics, and Dr. Stephen Kershner, assistant professor of Classics, celebrate the presentation of a new scholarship.