Panola College scholarship named in memory of late Charles Wallace

The establishment of the Charles Wallace Memorial Rodeo Scholarship was announced recently at Panola College. Making the announcement were Kylan Johnson, Hayden Shaw, Karen Shaw, Judy Wallace, Bill Shaw, Dr. Gregory Powell, Terry Holland, Khaki Jo Holland and Deb Holland. Judy Wallace, friends, family and members of the rodeo community have established the Charles Wallace Memorial Rodeo Scholarship at Panola College.

The scholarship will be used to support the men and women who compete on the Panola College rodeo team.

Mr. Wallace was born in Nacogdoches in 1942 to Leon and Paula Wallace and lived in East Texas most of his life. After serving in the U.S. Navy for four years, he married Judy Barker in 1966, and they had one daughter, Lindsay Wallace Dougherty. She now resides in Colorado Springs with her husband, Glenn, and their four children, Reaghan, Braden, Collin and Morghan.

Mr. Wallace graduated from Stephen F. Austin University in 1969 with a BS degree in business. In October 1995, he retired from Borden Chemical where he had worked for 25 years.

The Wallace farm in Cushing was acquired from his grandfather, Ocie Wallace, in 1976 where Charles and Judy raised commercial beef cattle and horses. In the early 70's they established the East Texas Rodeo Association (ETRA), and Mr. Wallace competed in bull riding and bareback events. The ETRA later became the Texas Rodeo Association, and then the United Professional Rodeo Association.

Mr. Wallace later began raising bucking bulls, a tradition that Mrs. Wallace has continued. He died Sept. 12, 2005, when he was accidentally killed while working the back pens at the Gettin' It Right Bull Riding in Nacogdoches.

"The Wallace family is extremely proud that Charles will be remembered each year through the presentation of the Charles Wallace Memorial Rodeo Scholarship to a deserving student on the Panola College Rodeo Team," said Mrs. Wallace. "In addition to loving the sport of rodeo, Charles knew the value of a good education. He would also be proud and honored by the hard work put forth by everyone to establish this scholarship in his name."

The Charles Wallace Memorial Rodeo Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student who is a member of the Panola College Rodeo Team.

The selection of the recipients will be made in the spring each year. Applicants may contact the office of institutional advancement at (903) 693-2029.