The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine recently established the Bartlett Scholars Program through an estate gift from H. B. “Woody” Bartlett, DVM, class of ’64. Dr. Bartlett owns Bartlett Ranch, which is comprised of three properties located in Alabama, Texas and Wyoming. The gift, according to the university, will provide scholarships for deserving veterinary professional and graduate students with a demonstrated interest in large animal medicine, surgery and theriogenology. The Bartlett Scholars Program will be supported by the Haywood Bellingrath Bartlett Educational Endowment. The endowment will be established at $10 million and will be expanded by up to four-fold as other components of the estate are settled, according to the university. “Auburn did a lot for me as far as helping me get ready for the type of career I wanted to have,” Bartlett said. “And, I know there are a lot of young people coming along in the future who will want to do the kinds of things I’ve done with cattle and horses. “I hope the scholarship fund will give them a chance to focus on their studies and prepare themselves to do their best as veterinarians.” Auburn University expects the first round of scholarships to be awarded to three first-year students: two non-resident students and one Alabama student. The program will grow by three new scholarships each year, to a total of 12 academic scholarships in four years. When fully implemented, up to 48 scholarships will be awarded each year. Full scholarships will be awarded to residents of Alabama or students enrolled from partner states, such as Kentucky, under the Southern Region Education Board contract, which serves to assist non-resident students from participating states where no public veterinary schools exist. Other non-resident students would receive scholarships for the differential between non-resident and in-state tuition for enrollment, according to the university. “Dr. Bartlett has created an opportunity for the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine to emerge as the nation’s leader in educating outstanding large animal clinicians and specialists who have a strong interest in the field but may lack the financial means to support their own education,” said Calvin Johnson, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, dean of the college. “Dr. Bartlett’s transformational gift will directly address student debt load and place them in a financial position to succeed as practitioners in underserved rural regions of the country.” Scholarships will be awarded to first-year students and then re-awarded annually based on academic performance for the remainder of the student’s four years. A similar structure will be applied to residents pursuing specialty training in large animal disciplines.
