Charles E. Hunnell, of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, has pledged $200,000 to establish the Florence Vernon Hunnell Scholarship at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — Charles E. Hunnell, of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, has pledged $200,000 to establish the Florence Vernon Hunnell Scholarship at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
The scholarship, named for Hunnell’s late mother, will benefit full-time students at the campus, with preference given to Greene County residents.
Hunnell has established multiple Penn State scholarship endowments for the College of Education since the 1980s in response to increases in the cost of postsecondary education. In 2018, he contributed $50,000 for the Charles E. Hunnell Open Doors Scholarship at Penn State Fayette, earning a 2:1 match from a concluded Penn State program, creating a total endowment of $150,000.
“Penn State Fayette is extremely grateful to Mr. Hunnell for choosing to make this investment in our students in his mother’s memory,” said Charles Patrick, campus chancellor and chief academic officer. “Chuck’s philanthropic philosophy and passion for student accessibility are admirable and truly inspirational.”
Hunnell served as an officer aboard the destroyer USS Beale. He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander, U.S. Navy (retired). He taught history at Upper St. Clair High School for 29 years before retiring in 1997. He is a member of the Penn State Fayette Advisory Board.
“My mother went to Waynesburg High School. She was a good student and wanted to become a nurse, but she came from a poor family and never got the opportunity,” said Hunnell, who graduated from Penn State in 1965.
“When I was growing up, she wanted me to go as far as I could. There was never any question that I would get an education at Penn State. She was always proud to be a Penn State parent,” he said. “Anyone who has the ability and desire should have the opportunity to further their education.”
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s tradition of education, research and service to communities across the commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable our institution to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows our students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help us to serve and impact the world we share. To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, visit raise.psu.edu.
