A $225,000 gift establishes the Charles Anderson Penton STEM Scholarship Endowment
A $225,000 gift from the Penton Family has established the Charles Anderson Penton STEM Scholarship Endowment for Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering students. Through his estate, the late Carl Penton left the gift in memory of his father, Charles Penton, a devoted advocate for higher education who found great joy in the sciences. Charles Penton retired from Southern Bell Telephone Company after 44 years of service.
“Our parents were the greatest,” said Gwenith Graham, sister of the late Carl Penton. “They sacrificed all they had, were very loving, and taught us the greatest gifts of life: values, your word is your bond, never take something for nothing, and an honest day for an honest dollar.”
Gwenith Graham added that the gift is a reflection of enduring values, and a legacy that will continue to inspire and empower others through the power of education.
The gift reflects Carl Penton’s desire to honor his father’s passion for learning and to support future generations of students in pursuing their academic dreams. Carl Penton was an accomplished educator and administrator in Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Japan and China. He had a life of service beginning with the American Peace Corps and continued with writings and publications of various books about antiquities. His last 10 years before his retirement were spent working with Chinese and American physicians to recognize the accomplishments of early American medical missionaries who established various hospitals in China.
In 1998, the Penton family also established the Arvie Malon Penton Endowment, in memory of Carl and Gwenith’s mother. That endowment supports the UWF Libraries and its special collections, ensuring that knowledge and history remain accessible to the University community in perpetuity.
For more information about the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering, visit uwf.edu/hmcse.
