A scholarship in memory of one of Hopkinsville Community College’s early faculty members has been established with the new Dr. Ben Self Scholarship Endowment Fund, the college announced Monday.
Self’s widow, Carolyn Self, provided a $20,000 gift to establish the endowment.
“Ben was brilliant and well-educated, and he was concerned to educate others. He felt like his job was to make people think,” Carolyn Self said in a press release from HCC.
HCC President Dr. Alissa Young added, “The college is honored to hold a scholarship endowment in [memoriam] of Dr. Self. He was a well-respected faculty member at HCC for decades and remains a prominent figure in our history.”
To be eligible for the Dr. Ben Self Scholarship, applicants must:
- Be pursuing a credential at HCC in a program within the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- Have intent of transferring to a 4-year college or university
- Enrolled in classes at least in a part-time status
- Have a GPA of at least 2.5
The scholarship will be awarded annually beginning with the fall 2026 semester.
Self joined the HCC faculty in 1968 (three years after the college opened) and taught courses in philosophy, religion, English composition, logic, ethics, public speaking and theater for 28 years. He was also a clergyman and served as a pastor and interim pastor for numerous churches in New York City, Kentucky and Tennessee.
He was the author of three books, including “Loving God with Your Mind,” and served as chairman of the local Human Relations Commission.
Self died Oct. 18 at age 93.
