King scholarship established at FMU

FLORENCE — An endowed scholarship has been established at Francis Marion University in memory of G. Wayne King, a longtime professor in the department of history.

The G. Wayne King scholarship will be awarded to a student, preferably from Florence County, with a major in history, or humanities or social sciences. If there is no such candidate, the scholarship will extend to other students in the Pee Dee. The scholarship recipient must obtain at minimum sophomore status, as defined by the academic catalog, demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA.

King was a native of Florence. After graduating from McClenaghan High School in 1957, King went on to attend the University of South Carolina, where he graduated cum laude with a Bacherlor of Arts in 1964 and a doctorate in 1969 in history. He began teaching at USC-Florence in 1969 before it became Francis Marion University in 1970.

According to a press release from the university, King was proud of the relationship he had with the campus community and with Pee Dee residents. He died April 10 and his friends and colleagues saw fit to honor him in this way.

The amount of the scholarship will vary according to the spending policy of the FMU Foundation. It is intended to permanently endow the scholarship fund for $25,000 during the course of the next five years.

Additional contributions can be made to the fund at any time. Contributions should be made payable to the Francis Marion University Foundation, P.O. Box 100547, Florence, SC 29502-0547.