West Virginia University President David C. Hardesty, Jr. has been awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. The Allohak Council of the Boy Scouts of America nominated Hardesty, a former Ripley resident, for this national honor.

The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is granted to Eagle Scouts who, after 25 years, have distinguished themselves in their life work and who have shared their talents with their communities on a voluntary basis.

Hardesty earned his Eagle Scout Award in 1961 as a member of Scout Troop 58 in Shinnston. He also holds Vigil Honor of the Order of the Arrow and the God and Country Award.

A reception and dinner in honor of the recognition is scheduled Monday, Oct. 25, at the Holiday Inn, Parkersburg. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $75 per person. Checks should be made payable to: Allohak Council, B.S.A, and mailed to 1340 Juliana Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101 -3994.

I am humbled by the designation, and thank those responsible,Hardesty said.My whole family, including my parents, brothers, and sister, were involved in scouting. I am sure that I owe much to the habits and skills that scouting develops in young people.

Hardesty received his undergraduate degree from WVU in 1967, where he served as student body president. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and received his law degree from Harvard University in 1973.

He became president of WVU in 1995. In that capacity, he serves as chair of WVU Hospitals, Inc., WV United Health Systems, Inc., and the WVU Research Corp. He is also a member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors and the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

In addition, Hardesty serves on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and will become chairman of that organization Oct. 1. He also serves on the West Virginia Roundtable and the National Association of College&University Attorneys.

Prior to becoming president of WVU , Hardesty was an attorney with the Charleston firm of Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff&Love. He served as state tax commissioner of West Virginia from 1977-1980.

Hardesty and his wife Susan are the parents of two children. Ashley is a graduate of Ripley High School and the WVU College of Law. Carter is a 2002 graduate of WVU and is currently pursuing a degree in law at WVU .

The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award was implemented in 1969. The award is granted by the National Eagle Scout Association of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, upon recommendation by the local council, and selection by a committee of nationally prominent Distinguished Eagle Scout Award recipients. To date, 1,611 Distinguished Eagle Scout Awards have been conferred, and about 1,765,200 Eagle Awards have been awarded since the beginning of scouting, some 94 years ago.Thus, for every 1,000 Eagle Scouts, only one Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is conferred.

For more information, contact William C. Kuryla, Ph.D., at 304-372-3185 (office), 304-372-3156 (home) or 304-532-9637 (cell).