APSU alumnus creates Patsy Trotter Education Award Endowment to honor late wife

(Published June 13, 2019)

Austin Peay State University alumnus and former Clarksville mayor Don Trotter recently made a contribution to the APSU Foundation to endow the scholarship he and his sons previously created in memory of his late wife. The Patsy Trotter Education Award Endowment will provide a spring and fall semester award to help a graduating senior education student prepare for his or her future teaching career.

Patsy Trotter

To be eligible, students will be required to demonstrate financial need, provide evidence of academic achievement and be observed by APSU College of Education faculty and district level teachers in a classroom setting during their student teaching assignments.

Don and Patsy met at Austin Peay in 1967. They both earned two degrees from the university and their two sons are APSU graduates as well. Patsy was a teacher, assistant principal and principal during her career. She also served as Clarksville’s first lady for 16 years.

“Patsy and I always considered APSU to be a tremendous influence on our lives,” Don Trotter said. “Patsy’s greatest soft spot in her heart was for children, which led her to a career in elementary education. Like most teachers, she had to spend her personal money on supplies and other materials for her classroom. At times, she would provide supplies for students who could not afford them, even at the expense of her own children. She understood how it could be financially difficult for new teachers to purchase a proper wardrobe and gas to get to work while also paying out of pocket for such supplies. This concerned her throughout her career, both as a teacher and as an administrator. Patsy was a teacher’s teacher. Her concern was the incentive for our family to endow this award to honor her memory and her career.”

Endowments are permanently restricted funds managed by the Austin Peay State University Foundation. The amount of each scholarship award may vary and will be determined based upon the value of the endowment and the Foundation spending plan.

To support APSU fundraising initiatives, contact the Office of University Advancement at 931-221-7127.

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