The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Friends and former students of the late Howard Perkins will host a fund-raiser Saturday, Aug. 25, to benefit a scholarship being established in Perkins’ honor.

The event will be at The Art Studio Inc., 720 Franklin, beginning at 4 p.m. Highlights will include a Dutch-treat cookout and an auction of books from Perkins’ extensive collection, many dating to his years as a teacher in Silsbee during the 1960s.

Perkins died Oct. 22, 2010, after 34 years as advisor to the University Press, the award-winning student newspaper at Lamar University. Perkins was a teacher, mentor and inspiration for generations of Lamar students now achieving success throughout the communication profession.

The family, former students and other friends of Perkins are establishing an endowed scholarship in his memory to benefit future UP editors.

“We cannot imagine a Lamar University without a Howard Perkins Scholarship,” said Amanda Rowell, a 2006 LU graduate and former UP staff member, who is co-chairing the fund-raiser with Stephan Malick, 1994-95 UP editor.

“This will be an all-day, family friendly event and a reunion of sorts to remember Mr. Perkins, remember our glory days and, above all, to raise the money necessary to complete this scholarship,” Rowell said.

Perkins is remembered for imparting knowledge among his students while allowing them to hold on to their sense of self and creativity and as one who knew the value of mixing professionalism with a joy for the work.

“The University Press has a great reputation in the college newspaper field, and that has everything to do with Howard,” said Andy Coughlan who succeeded Perkins as director of student publications after working alongside him for 18 years as assistant director. “He was very proud of the quality of work the students produced. He was keen to build a tradition of quality, and the students really bought into that.”

Benefit organizers are encouraging scholarship contributors to make gifts online at http://advancement.lamar.edu/cash or at the event. For those unable to attend, checks payable to the Lamar University Foundation may be mailed to P.O. Box 11500, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX 77710, with “Howard Perkins Scholarship” as the notation.

Guests are being asked to bring their own meats for the cookout or other entrees, as well as beverages and side dishes