Three graduating seniors in the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom Honors Program at Howard Payne University were recently honored during the annual Sumners Banquet held on the HPU campus. The students, who were selected in 2010 as Hatton W. Sumners Foundation Scholars, were awarded plaques and expressed their gratitude to the Foundation.

Kathryn Burns of Seguin, Adam Hardy of Corpus Christi and Chandler Raine of Mesquite visited with members of the Foundation, the HPU Board of Trustees and Academy of Freedom Board of Directors, as well as Sumners Scholar alumni from HPU.

Current HPU Sumners Scholars present at the banquet included Charity Chambers, a junior from Derby, Kan.; Gabi Guerrero, a junior from Red Oak; Landon Hankins, a junior from Decatur; Kait Kelm, a senior from Lindale; and Kelley Miller, a junior from Brownwood.

The Sumners Scholar program offers students the chance to attend special lectures, seminars and conferences featuring world-renowned leaders from both public and private sectors. It also provides a generous scholarship of $5,500 per semester for two years. Students are selected after an in-depth application and interview by the trustees of the Sumners Foundation.

Named for its founder, former Congressman Hatton W. Sumners of Texas (Democrat, 1912-1947), who served as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation is dedicated to the study, teaching and promotion of self-government.

Photo cutline: Trustees from the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation recently honored the HPU recipients of the Sumners Scholarship. From left, are Lon R. Williams, Jr., Sumners trustee; Christy Thompson, Sumners trustee; Landon Hankins, Sumners Scholar; Kait Kelm, Sumners Scholar; Adam Hardy, Sumners Scholar; Kelley Miller, Sumners Scholar; Tamara (Buettner) Middleton, Sumners alumna and 2000 HPU alumna; Gabi Guerrero, Sumners Scholar; Jennifer (Shellnut) Willingham, Sumners alumna and 2001 HPU alumna; Kathryn Burns, Sumners Scholar; David G. Drumm, chair of the Sumners Foundation Board of Trustees; Charity Chambers, Sumners Scholar; William Dale Crane, Sumners trustee; Jennifer (Trice) McNiece, assistant professor of political science, 2002 HPU alumna and Sumners alumna; Dr. Matthew McNiece, associate professor of history, chair of the Department of Geography, History and Political Science, 2003 HPU alumnus and Sumners alumnus; Chandler Raine, Sumners Scholar; and David B. Long, Sumners trustee.