Huntington Times

The Marshall University Foundation has announced the creation of the Julius Gregory Jessie Scholarship. This scholarship is funded by Julius “Greg” Jessie, a 1973 accounting graduate of Marshall University. Jessie founded the accounting firm Jessie and Jessie in 1980 with his brother, Chris, after previously working for their father. The firm is located in Williamson, West Virginia, and provides accounting and tax preparation services to customers and small business owners.

Jessie explained that his decision to endow this scholarship through his estate was motivated by a decrease in resumes from accounting majors over the years at his business. He hopes to inspire undergraduate students in Marshall's accounting department.

“I would like to encourage more graduates and more college students to get involved in the accounting profession,” Jessie said. “I want to help these students to encourage them to take business courses and get into accounting with the long-term goal of becoming a CPA. We need to get more CPAs into our field.

“I want to help the business school as best I can the way it helped me.”

The scholarship will be awarded to a full-time student majoring in accounting within the Lewis College of Business and Brad D. Smith Schools of Business who is also a West Virginia resident.

The award is renewable for up to four years or eight semesters if the recipient maintains good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The dean of the College of Business, or at their discretion, the Department of Accounting, will select the recipient and renew the award in cooperation with the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

For more information about the Julius Gregory Jessie Scholarship, please contact Marshall University’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at 304-696-3162.