RICHARD P. MYERS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

This account was established by family and friends of former Illinois State Representative Richard (Rich) Myers after his passing on December 1, 2010. Rich was a 1973 graduate of WIU.

Rich Myers earned a B.S. in Agronomy from WIU in 1973. He farmed the family farm for 29 years before becoming a full-time legislator. As a farmer, he was active in the Farm Bureau in various capacities at the local, state, and national levels. He was first elected to the House of Representatives for Illinois’ 94th district in1995 and served until his death in December of 2010. Myers was minority spokesperson on the House Appropriations-Higher Education Committee and also served on the Agriculture and Conservation, State Government Administration, and Elections and Campaign Reform committees. Myers was the major architect of legislation that helped set standards for livestock farms in Illinois, balancing the rights of farmers and those who live or work nearby. The Rich Myers Memorial Scholarship was established in early 2011 by Myers’ family and friends in honor of his many contributions to his constituents and Western Illinois University.

CRITERIA:
 Enrolled and majoring in Agriculture at WIU
 Resident of McDonough County
 Junior class level by the end of the semester of application
 Minimum 3.0 GPA
 Preference will be given to those applicants who can document community service and/or active involvement in university activities
 Financial need is a consideration
 One page essay discussing the appliant’s view of how government policy impacts agriculture