Dr. McWhirter Scholarship
for Future Science Teachers

Dr. Nolan McWhirter

A scholarship fund has been established in the honor of the retired A&M-Commerce faculty member and department head.  This fund was started by Johnnie Davis, a former student of Dr. McWhirter from Goodwell, Oklahoma.  The purpose of the scholarship fund is to assist future science teachers with their college education.

Dr. McWhirter retired in 1982 and was professor and department head in the earth science department.  He currently lives at a retirement center in Commerce.

According to Johnnie Davis, and others of his students, “He was a tremendous teacher, a great role model, and a good neighbor”.    As time has passed, earth science is no longer a formal course in the middle school curriculum and the department of earth sciences has phased into an environmental science degree.   However earth sciences are still an important component in the middle school science program, thus this scholarship is intended to help middle school science teachers.

Scholarship Guidelines

• Students must major in a science teaching field
• Students must be enrolled in at least 12 hours and must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0
• Past recipients are eligible to apply again in competition with other applicants.
• The chairperson of the scholarship committee is Pam Henderson of the physics department who was also a student of Dr. McWhirter.  She is responsible for gathering the applications and calling the committee to order.
• The scholarship is given as finances and worthy candidates permit.