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Lee University is pleased to announce the initiation of the Charles Paul Conn Centennial Scholarship program.

“Since Dr. Paul Conn put the Centennial Scholarship program in place near the beginning of his presidency at Lee, many high-caliber students were attracted to Lee and have pivoted with their Lee experience to do great things,” said Dr. Mark Walker, Lee president. “These alumni are a tribute to his leadership, and it is fitting that the scholarship, which will continue to foster the education of tomorrow’s leaders, will now bear his name.”

Conn has been serving as Chancellor at Lee since fall 2020, following a 34-year tenure as the university’s president. After graduating from Lee College in 1967, Conn earned a PhD at Emory University and returned to Lee as a psychology instructor in 1971. Within the next 15 years, Conn received the school’s top award for “Excellence in Teaching,” served two post-doctoral appointments at Harvard University, chaired the Department of Behavioral Sciences, served as Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and authored or co-authored more than 20 books about various public, business, and ministry leaders. Even after serving full time on the Lee campus for more than 50 years, Conn retains a love for college students and seeing them grow through the Lee University experience.

Beginning with the fall 2023 semester, the Charles Paul Conn Centennial Scholarship will be Lee’s most competitive scholarship for incoming freshmen. Qualified applicants will be invited to a separate application and selection process, after which ten incoming freshmen will receive renewable full-tuition scholarships.

“Dr. Conn’s legacy at Lee is one of excellence, generosity, and bold optimism,” said Jayson VanHook, Lee’s vice president for enrollment and marketing. “We know that these generous scholarships will attract the cream of the crop, and those first-year students who earn them will be proud to call themselves Charles Paul Conn Centennial Scholars.”

The newly named scholarship will take its place as the top award in Lee University’s existing merit-based scholarship program, with other non-competitive tiers based on college entrance exam scores and high school experience. These merit scholarships are renewable with satisfactory progress and a LeeU GPA requirement; are named Ignite, Dean’s, and Presidential Scholarships; and range from $2,000 to $10,000 in annual award amounts.

For more information on the Charles Paul Conn Centennial Scholarship, on Lee’s Merit Scholarship Program, or on how to apply, visit leeuniversity.edu, or call (423) 614-8500.