CLARKSVILLE, TN – A generous donation from Bristol S. Gannaway has established the Richard E. and Bristol S. Gannaway Memorial Endowment for APSU students. The fund, which she created before her passing, now memorializes two lifelong educators and historians. Richard E. Gannaway was a professor of industrial technology at Austin Peay State University, and Bristol S. Gannaway was a cosmetology instructor at Clarksville High School.
“One of the greatest things about living and working in Clarksville is meeting my parents’ former students,” said their son Phil Gannaway. “Each story of how a life was influenced by their passion for teaching and compassion for their students brings me great pride, and this scholarship is a fitting legacy for two people who dedicated their lives to education and to their community. I am committed to seeing this fund and its influence grow in their memory.”
To qualify for this scholarship, students must have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours, be enrolled full-time with a 2.5 GPA and be Montgomery County, Tennessee residents. Recipients must also have participated in extracurricular activities at school and in the community. The scholarship is renewable for recipients that continue to meet the criteria each year.
Richard Gannaway served his country in the United States Navy during World War II. Along with being a professor at Austin Peay, he served for eight years on the board of education in the Montgomery County School System, where he advocated for trade programs in public schools. He and Bristol were both advocates for vocational education, with Bristol having designed the cosmetology program at Clarksville High School and taught there for 20 years. Upon completion of the program, the vast majority of her students achieved all requirements for the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology, allowing them to practice professionally. Richard taught courses at APSU to provide practical knowledge and skills to those already working in trades.
Once both retired, the Gannaways combined their love of history, community and spending time together to undertake a massive project to gather, index and archive obituaries of Clarksville-area deaths. The 13-volume historical accounting resulted from research conducted across 15 years, examining microfiche, publications and historical records at Montgomery County Public Libraries in Clarksville and the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
These books contain pertinent information about people who passed away as far back as the late 1800s, as well as reference to the newspaper and page where the obituaries were published. The Gannaways donated each volume to the Montgomery County Public Library to make sure the community could access the information as needed. They were married for 56 years before Richard’s passing in 2002. Bristol passed away in 2023.
“The impact of a couple such as the Gannaways cannot be overstated,” said Kris Phillips, APSU Vice President for Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy. “From their careers as teachers, to their involvement in the community, to their contributions to the historical records for our area, their lives were ones of service, and we are better for it, as are those who will have the Govs For Life Experience because of this scholarship.”
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 establish an endowment or support other fundraising initiatives, contact the APSU Division of Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy at 931-221-7127 or via give@apsu.edu.