John Horn Family Expands A-State ROTC Scholarship
JONESBORO — Arkansas State University officials have learned the family of the late John Horn has expanded the amount of the annual Horn ROTC Scholarship for the Department of Military Science. LTC Cecil L. Clark, professor of Military Science, notified A-State Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Lynita Cooksey of the expansion.
“We’re pleased that John Horn’s family has shown their faith in the Red Wolf Battalion by expanding their annual scholarship,” said Clark. “From a single $1,750 scholarship established in 1995, the Horn family now honors two cadets with $7,500 scholarships.
The scholarship foundation was established in 1995 and was formerly a $1,750 scholarship for an ASTATE MS III (Junior). There are now two $7,500 scholarships, one each awarded to an MS III (Junior) and MS IV (Senior) Cadet.
Clark continued, “The scholarships will be awarded annually in the fall semester in conjunction with the A-State ROTC Hall of Heroes activities.”
Applications for the scholarship must be submitted to the Department of Military Science no later than Oct. 1. Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the selection committee and compete on an Order of Merit list utilizing United States Army Accessions-like criteria, cumulative grade point average (with additional weight given to cadets enrolled in a STEM degree program) physical fitness scores, extracurricular activities and leadership performance.
Criteria for the scholarship are an A-State junior (minimum 60 hours) entering the ROTC advanced course, and an A-State senior (minimum 90 hours) enrolled in the ROTC advanced course, who must demonstrate performance ability in ROTC, have potential to gain an ROTC commission and demonstrate financial need. In order to maintain the scholarship, students must continue to meet the selection criteria.
The selection committee consists of a professor of Military Science, an assistant professor of Military Science, a senior military instructor, a senior cadet already on ROTC scholarship and an Arkansas State faculty member.
The $7,500 will cover the annual tuition for a full-time cadet taking 15 hours of classes per semester. The cadets will also be eligible for room and/or board waivers in the ROTC dormitory. Arkansas State is the only non-military college in America with an entire dormitory exclusively for ROTC cadets.
Horn was in the very first Arkansas State ROTC class to receive commissions (1938) and is a member of the A-State ROTC Hall of Heroes. He was born in Muldrow, Okla., in 1918. In addition to receiving his ROTC commission, he graduated with a bachelor of science in chemistry and commission in the Field Artillery.
During his four years in World War II, Horn spent 39 months in the South Pacific where he made two assault landings and participated in three major campaigns. He worked for over 56 years in natural gas and natural gas liquids business and established himself as a world leader and expert in this field. In 45 years with Phillips Petroleum, he conceived and implemented the manufacture and shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan and worked on all major natural gas projects for Phillips. He negotiated gas sales contracts for the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Search multibillion-dollar firsts.
Horn wrote numerous papers for international groups on natural gas and LNG, was vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Yukon Pacific Corporation, was a senior member and past distinguished lecturer for the Society of Petroleum Engineers, a fellow in the Institute of Petroleum in London, England, was past chairman of the Gas Supply Task Group for the U.S. Energy Outlook joint study and advised the World Bank on energy production in developing countries.
In 1996, Horn endowed the “John Horn ROTC Scholarship.” Since that time, his generosity has made it possible to recognize and reward an outstanding ROTC cadet each year. Horn died in 2012.
