Smithfield Foods Expands its Collegiate Partnerships to Include Norfolk State University

 

Norfolk, Va.—Norfolk State University was recently selected as one of the newest collegiate partners of the Smithfield-Luter Foundation. Beginning as early as this fall, the Foundation will provide $25,000 to fund scholarships at Norfolk State and up to $100,000 over the next four years based on the strength of the program.

The purpose of the Smithfield-Luter Foundation scholarships is to give Smithfield Foods’ full-time and retired employees’ children and grandchildren an opportunity to go to college. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a dependent child or grandchild of a Smithfield Foods employee; demonstrate financial need; and be accepted to Norfolk State.

“We are excited that the Smithfield-Luter Foundation has chosen Norfolk State as one of its very select partners,” said Phillip D. Adams, NSU interim vice president for University Advancement. “It opens opportunities for our students who may have a desire to pursue careers at Smithfield Foods or one of their subsidiaries.”

“We’re pleased to expand our scholarship program to this fine institution because it offers additional opportunities for a college education to young people who likely could not afford to do so otherwise,” said Dennnis H. Treacy, executive director of the Smithfield-Luter Foundation and vice president of environmental and corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods.

“We feel strongly about educating our young people and believe it is a critical part of making a community a better place to live, raise a family, work and do business,” Treacy said.

Administered by Norfolk State University with guidance from the Smithfield-Luter Foundation, the university will have the opportunity to make decisions about the scholarship awards. Additionally, Norfolk State will actively recruit at Smithfield Foods facilities.

The Smithfield-Luter Foundation was founded in 2002 by Smithfield Foods chairman Joseph W. Luter, III to provide scholarships to the children and grandchildren of company employees. The Foundation’s first partnership was with Luter’s alma mater, Wake Forest University. The Foundation also has partnerships with Virginia Tech, Iowa State and Johnson & Wales Universities. Virginia Union and Fayetteville State Universities join Norfolk State as new partners.