West Virginia University Foundation President and CEO , F. Duke Perry, announced that the 45-acre tract located on W.Va. Route 705 which had been donated by the late Sylvia Straight to fund scholarships for West Virginia high school students has been sold. The property was purchased by the CMC Company at a cost of $1,550,000.

The proceeds of the sale will be used to establish the Rasta E. and Sylvia B. Straight Memorial Scholarship Fund. Beginning in the fall of 2002, approximately 30 scholarships valued between $1,000 and $3,000 each will be awarded to West Virginia residents attending WVU who meet national guidelines for need and are of high academic standing. Students will automatically be considered for the Straight Scholarships through their application for admission to West Virginia University.

Mr. Perry stated,”Through this sale we are able to fulfill Sylvia Straights initial intent when donating the property to us through her will. She was committed to providing much needed scholarship support to deserving West Virginia students wishing to attend West Virginia University. Regretfully, West Virginia has one of the lowest college attending rates in the nation. It is through the generosity of individuals like Sylvia Straight that we are able to address this concern.”

Sylvia Straight was a Morgantown resident and a teacher in Marion and Monongalia County Schools. She provided these scholarships through a bequest in her will using the 45-acre tract of land to fund the program. The scholarships were created through the WVU Foundation in conjunction with the Building Greatness Campaign, $250 million fund-raising effort it is conducting on behalf of the University.

The Foundation, a private non-profit corporation, is the designated agency to receive and administer gifts from private individuals and organizations for the benefit of WVU and its affiliated organizations.