The Morgan Leah McCarty Memorial Scholarship Fund

 The Morgan Leah McCarty Memorial Scholarship is a non-profit organization that gives two scholarships annually to students attending college. The scholarship is based on financial need of the college student. Applications are taken during the school year and the scholarships are awarded in July. Preferences are given to students in the Jackson, Madison County area to keep the scholarships local.

 The scholarship is in loving memory of Morgan Leah McCarty, a junior at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she was killed by a hit and run driver on campus. The McCarty/Britt Bill was passed May 20, 2008 by Tennessee Legislature in her name and Martha Britt, who both were killed by hit and run drivers. This is a great legacy to strengthen our Tennessee laws and we hope that the Morgan Leah McCarty Memorial Scholarship will also be a legacy to help students to complete their college education.

 In August, a Memorial Golf Classic and Dance is held each year with all proceeds going to the scholarship fund. This scholarship will help students to attend college that might not have the funds or resources. On July 2007, the first two scholarships were awarded to Emily Moore, a sophomore, attending UT, from Jackson, TN, and Kendall Coffey, a junior at UT, from Etowah, TN. They were presented the scholarships from Kirk M. McCarty, brother of Morgan, and Executor of the Morgan Leah McCarty Scholarship Fund. This year we gave a scholarship to Cassie Sheets, attending University of Tennessee at Martin, and Haley Gullet attending University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. We also gave a scholarship to John Wilson to the Jackson Sports Hall of Fame Banquet in the spring of 2011. We are proud to have given over $35,000 in scholarships to area students since 2007. Tatum Parimore received the Jackson Hall of Fame Scholarship for 2012.