Soldier's Widow Honors His Legacy With OSU Scholarship
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
(STILLWATER, Okla., May 26, 2009) - Oklahoma State University graduate Maj. Scott Hagerty, a Stillwater native, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on June 3, 2008, leaving behind a wife and two sons. Now his wife, Daphne, is honoring his memory through a scholarship at OSU.
Daphne shares her late husband’s calling to help others and has ensured his name, life and legacy will not be forgotten. She created the Scott A. Hagerty Scholarship for Army ROTC to benefit students in the program where Scott was first trained to be an officer.
“I want to keep his name and memory alive,” Daphne said. “And to encourage young recruits and soldiers who will soon be responsible for the security of nations, the lives of others and the future of our country.”
She said she believes support for the ROTC is often overlooked and hopes her gift will inspire others to contribute to Scott’s memorial scholarship or consider establishing their own.
“I wish I could do more,” she said. “These guys will eventually go through things that test them physically and mentally. It will change them forever. But this is their calling, they have a heart to be a soldier; not everybody can or would do that.”
Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Hensley is the commander of OSU’s Army ROTC Cowboy Battalion. He met Maj. Hagerty at an ROTC function prior to Hagerty’s last deployment. The pair discussed the possibility of Hagerty becoming an assistant professor in the program.
Hensley said Daphne’s “incredibly generous” gift in honor of her husband is both fitting and important.
“The cadets truly appreciate the fact she has thought about them,” Hensley said. “Scott really loved ROTC and the department here. It was great to see she remembered that and knew the relationship Scott had had with our department. She wanted to help other young men and women who had that same desire to serve the nation.”
Daphne also made a separate donation to pay for a large, high-quality conference table with a plaque memorializing what Maj. Hagerty has done for the nation and what he accomplished during his life.
At OSU, Scott was part of the ROTC program that was established in 1916. It has commissioned more than 6,000 officers since 1920. The school has also produced more than 97 General Officers. The number could be even higher, but World War I records are incomplete.
For more information or to contribute, contact Damien Williams at 405-744-4035 or dwilliams@OSUgiving.com.