Joseph Owens

This scholarship is in honor and memory of Joe’s uncle, William A. Owens. Bill Owens graduated from the college now known as Texas A&M University-Commerce. He managed to enter the college without even attending high school. He was an orphan, raised by his mother and grandmother, because his father died in 1906, about the same day that Bill was born. He grew up very poor in northeastern Lamar County, TX in the community of Pin Hook.

Bill Owens was the author of many books but the one that describes his early life and his desire and struggles for an education is his book This Stubborn Soil. The college at Commerce played an important role in Bill’s life and that’s why we chose to provide a scholarship in his honor at Texas A&M Commerce. Bill Owens taught creative writing during the latter part of his career at Columbia University in New York City.

Both Nancy and I had scholarships that allowed us to attend college. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to afford college, but I took an exam (I didn’t even know exactly what the exam was for) and was surprised and greatly pleased to learn that I was offered a scholarship at Texas A&M College Station. With the scholarship, working at school, and summer jobs I was able to make ends meet until I graduated. Nancy was better off financially than I but she also received scholarships and worked to help pay her way through college. Nancy received degrees from the University of Tennessee, the University of Illinois, and the University of Southern California. I received degrees from Texas A&M College Station and the University of Illinois.

Nancy has spent the major part of her career as a professor at California State University, Northridge in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Joe’s career was as an electrical engineer at the Hughes Aircraft Company in the Los Angeles area.

Higher education has played such an important part in enriching our lives that we would like to pass that opportunity on to others. Joe eventually learned that the person, W. P. Luse, who provided his scholarship did not even have a high school education. Mr. Luse recognized that higher education was important for everyone. We concur with Mr. Luse’s assessment and that’s why we are offering this scholarship.

We encourage you to read Bill Owens’ This Stubborn Soil to see what perseverance can achieve!

Joe Owens