Endowment to A-State Establishes Andrew Wargo III Agriculture Scholarship
JONESBORO – An endowment gift has been made to Arkansas State University establishing the Andrew Wargo III Endowed Scholarship.
The $29,000 donation from Andrew Wargo of Watson establishes an academic scholarship for students in the College of Agriculture.
“Mr. Wargo’s generous endowment is investing in students’ futures within the College of Agriculture. This investment will create opportunities for students, and we are so grateful for his unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation,” said Dr. Mickey LaTour, dean of the College of Agriculture.
Wargo is a 1964 A-State graduate, earning a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering. In 2021 he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the College of Agriculture.
The Desha County native spent more than 50 years in the farming industry. He was inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2022.
He spent most of his career at Baxter County Land Co. where he helped guide a conservation and stewardship plan practiced around the country. He was elected to the Conservation Hall of Fame in 2016.
“In every position I have had, I always found a benefit from the courses and degree in agriculture engineering I received at A-State,” said Wargo.
Wargo wants to support those in the area of study that played a major role in his career, which is one of the driving forces for this endowment.
"I want to encourage the students taking courses now to keep going, and I hope this scholarship will enable them to continue their education,” Wargo added.
While in college, Wargo was a member of the A-State Sport Parachute Team that won the National Collegiate Championship in 1964. He worked as a flight instructor, as a teacher and administrator before returning to the agriculture industry.
Wargo worked alongside Bill Baxter of Baxter Land Co. and helped the Baxter family begin a catfish farming operation and managed a family-owned cotton gin that grew into a 30,000-bale operation before merging the operation to become the Dumas Cotton Gin.
