Eckburgs Endow SCAD Scholarship for SCPS Students
Thursday, April 28, 2005

Paula S. Wallace, President of the Savannah College of Art and Design, recently announced the establishment of the Eckburg Scholars program at SCAD. The scholarships will be awarded beginning in 2006 to three undergraduate students at the college and to one incoming student specifically from Savannah Christian Preparatory School.

“Richard D. Eckburg’s success in life is testament to the value of hard work, perseverance and self-motivation,” said Wallace. “Through his generosity, four outstanding, dedicated undergraduate students who represent the values he has cherished will have the opportunity to receive one-year, full-tuition scholarships for study at the Savannah College of Art and Design.”

For current undergraduate students to be eligible for the Eckburg Scholars program, they must complete 45 credit hours at SCAD and demonstrate financial need, academic and artistic excellence, and proven service to the community. For the Savannah Christian Preparatory School incoming student scholarship, the recipient must have a written recommendation from the school’s headmaster and meet all admission criteria established by the SCAD admission department.

“The Eckburgs are making it possible for others to achieve in life, and it’s a blessing for Savannah Christian Preparatory School and those interested in pursuing a career in the arts,” said Roger Yancey, headmaster at Savannah Christian Preparatory School.

The Eckburgs’ relationship with Savannah Christian began in 2003 after the couple visited the campus and learned of Rev. George and Harold Deane Akins, who founded the school in 1951. (The book Miracles in My Life, by Bob and Georgia Hill, details the founding and early history of the school.) Savannah Christian had just embarked on a capital campaign, and the Eckburgs made a leadership gift of $1 million to the campaign. "We are not giving to buildings," assured Mr. Eckburg, "we are giving to people." Subsequently, the school has raised nearly $2.4 million in additional gifts and pledges for campus redevelopment.

A native of Amboy, Ill., Dick Eckburg retired to Savannah from the United Parcel Service after 32 years. He began his career with UPS as a delivery driver after serving in the Korean War, and rose through the company ranks to become vice president of public affairs. Prior to this appointment, Eckburg was the district manager for the state of Florida and of UPS major operations in the Chicago area. He also served with distinction on the executive committee of the American Trucking Association. Upon Eckburg’s retirement from UPS in 1986, he was described as “one of the leading executives in the U.S. transportation industry” in the Congressional Record. During this time, Eckburg played an instrumental role in the United Way effort at UPS, promoting its growth to new heights.

Since his retirement, Eckburg has engaged in a wide variety of charitable and philanthropic endeavors in his adopted home of Savannah, Ga. Organizations that have benefited from his leadership and generosity include the Salvation Army, the Lucas Theatre, the Bethesda Home for Boys, the Telfair Museum of Art, the Savannah Music Festival, St. Paul’s CME Church and School, Savannah Christian Preparatory School and SCAD. Eckburg serves on the board of trustees of the Media Research Center in Alexandria, Va., and on the board of directors of SunTrust Bank in Savannah. Married since 1967, Dick and Judy Eckburg are the proud parents of two daughters and four grandchildren.