CHS Class of 1963 awards two Lindsey scholarships to students

Two Lindsey scholarships meant at least $1,000 in direct aid for two local students, money that can make the difference between enrolling and putting college off for another year. In Phillips County, where families weigh tuition, fees, transportation and staying close to home, that kind of private support lands directly on the affordability gap.

The Helena/West Helena Class of ’63 Bart Lindsey Memorial Scholarship is open to graduating seniors from Helena or West Helena High School and is listed through the Arkansas Community Foundation. One listing says the award amount varies, while another scholarship database says the award carries a $500 minimum and at least three awards are available. The Class of 1963’s decision to award two scholarships means two students from the county’s public high schools received a concrete financial boost headed into postsecondary study.

The scholarship also carries the name of Bart Lindsey, who was born in Helena on June 15, 1945. A 2003 Arkansas General Assembly resolution described him as a banker, University of Arkansas alumnus, community leader and elder of First Presbyterian Church, and identified him as the son of Nash and Cappi Lindsey. That history gives the award a local lineage that reaches beyond a single school year and into the civic memory of Helena and West Helena.

For students deciding where to go next, the award points toward nearby options as well. Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas serves Helena-West Helena and other eastern Arkansas communities and says it provides accessible educational opportunities and skills development across three campus locations. For a Phillips County graduate, a scholarship tied to local alumni can help keep that choice within reach, whether the next step is a two-year degree, training program or transfer path.

The larger value of the Class of 1963’s gift is not just that it honors an old name. It is that private alumni giving is still being used to back real students in a county where educational aspiration often depends on whether someone steps in to help with the bill.