More students at the West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism will have the opportunity to realize their academic potential thanks to 1975 alumna and Clarksburg native Jane McNeer.
McNeer has established The Hilda G. and James E. McNeer Journalism Scholarship in honor of her parents. McNeer, who has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, is now a semi-retired fundraising consultant. She says her parents were the highest example of the benefits of education and the importance of life-long learning.
“They generously funded 34 years of higher education for my five sisters and me,” said McNeer. “The School of Journalism was my foundation – a ticket to a world of opportunity. Through an endowed scholarship named in honor of my parents, I hope to pass on the same opportunity that the School and my parents provided to me.”
The Hilda and James E. McNeer Journalism Scholarship will be awarded for the first time in Spring 2014.
McNeer’s father, Jim, served in World War II and attended WVU and Concord and later graduated from Washington and Lee University Law School. He spent his career as an attorney at McNeer, Highland, McMunn and Varner, a firm headquartered in Clarksburg. Her mother, Hilda, attended Concord College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was an elementary school teacher and homemaker.
“College is becoming more expensive and out of reach for many young people who want to further their education,” said Dean Maryanne Reed. “Gifts like Jane’s can make all the difference for a student who needs financial support.”
In addition to her work in higher education, McNeer has worked in public relations and fundraising at Duke University Medical Center, Roanoke College and Virginia Tech. Most recently, she was vice president of the Medical Foundation of North Carolina, Inc., and assistant dean for Advancement of the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine. McNeer also serves on the School of Journalism’s Visiting Committee and Capital Campaign Committee.
The gift was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $750 million comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2015.
