A scholarship fund has been established at MTSU in the Name of Dan Whittle, a noted local journalist for more than 50 years.

The funds will help journalism students fund their education at MTSU.

"We need your help for the students who will study Journalism and become the future defenders of the First Amendment and freedom of the press," organizer Hooper Penuel said.

In addition to his journalism, Whittle was an author, speaker, co-founder and member of the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame housed at MTSU.

Presently the Scholarship fund has grown from zero to almost $6,000 since Dan lost a courageous battle with leukemia last year. If we reach this amount, MTSU can issue $500 annual scholarship funds to a deserving Journalism student for up to 12 years according to Pat Branam, Director of Development at MTSU.

This is great, but I believe we can do better.

We have an opportunity this week, Feb. 12, 13 and 14 to bolster substantially our goal of a $25,000 endowment by contributing to the Dan Whittle MTSU Journalism Scholarship fund through the annual MTSU True Blue Give Drive.

Just click here and give! Reaching this goal will assure present and future students that funds will be available to study journalism from now on. Whatever you can give during this drive, big or small, could be matched through a limited pool of available money for Journalism. I would encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity we have to double donations.

"Dan loved his community. He loved his work. And he loved Middle Tennessee State University. He was a storyteller who highlighted many of his life experiences and during his growing up years in the bootheel swamps of Missouri through his writings," Penuel said. "Please give what you can. Dan would appreciate you."