Scholarship pays tribute to Zelma S. Holmes’ life of service

The first Zelma S. Holmes Scholarship, benefiting high-achieving, financially-eligible Ohio University Southern students who have a record of serving others, will be awarded for the 2019-20 academic year.

Zelma S. Holmes lived a life of service.

A lifelong resident of Ironton, Ohio, she learned how to operate a ham radio during World War II in the event of an organized community need. She served the Lawrence County Senior Citizens Center and was selected to represent the county at a White House Conference on Aging. She cooked for her church. And she always had a hot meal for anyone in the neighborhood who needed one.

As the 10-year anniversary of Holmes’ passing approaches, her family is continuing her legacy, creating a scholarship for high-achieving, financially-eligible Ohio University Southern students who carry that same commitment to serving others.

This photo from The Ironton Tribune shows members of the civil defense communicators crew during the early 1940s. Zelma S. Holmes (far right, first row) learned how to operate a ham radio during World War II in the event of an organized community need.

“My family is full of people who are always lending a helping hand. This was especially true of my grandmother who, as a black American, grew up in southern Ohio during some trying times in the United States,” Jasmine Anderson, BBA ’04, said of her grandmother, the namesake of the Zelma S. Holmes Scholarship that Anderson and other friends and family established in her honor. “She had this innate awareness to help those around her, regardless of social differences. … This scholarship is a means to ensure that her compassionate spirit lives on, and, as a lifelong resident of Ironton, the Southern Campus was the obvious choice.”

While Holmes did not attend Ohio University, she saw the impact it had on her loved ones. Anderson’s mother’s first job was in the library on the Southern Campus, and a few members of the family are proud Bobcats.

“For nearly 20 years, Ohio University has been a direct influence in my life,” Anderson, an associate bursar at The Ohio State University, said. “It’s very likely that I would not be here today professionally if I had not received the education I did from OHIO.”

Nicole Pennington, dean of Ohio University Southern, said the Holmes Family is well known in and around Ironton as is Holmes’ record of kindness, generosity and service to the community.

“It is always meaningful when donors invest in our students at Ohio University Southern,” Pennington said. “Their contributions not only assist students with financial needs, but also boost the students’ confidence by reminding them that someone believes in their abilities and is willing to contribute to their success. … The establishment of this scholarship in Mrs. Holmes’ honor speaks to her family’s commitment to follow her lead and to continue to pay kindness forward.”

The first Zelma S. Holmes Scholarship will be awarded for the 2019-20 academic year.

“We have a lot of students who have financial need, so we are so appreciative for every gift donated to the Southern campus,” said Stephanie Burcham, director of development and alumni relations for Ohio University Southern and director of OHIO’s Proctorville Center. “I appreciate the community service aspect of this scholarship because it’s clear that Zelma Holmes was a giver.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, undergraduate applicants must be residents of Lawrence County, Ohio, or Boyd County, Kentucky; have demonstrated financial need and academic merit; and have demonstrated community service.

“As this scholarship has strong academic and community service requirements, I hope that it encourages a lifelong commitment to learning and service,” Anderson said.