A Fayetteville State University Alumnus is adding to his legacy of support with a $500,000 gift for a named endowed scholarship.  

James M. Boyd ‘54 established the James M. Boyd and Wilma F. Boyd Scholarship Fund in 2012, a $25,000 endowed scholarship supporting juniors in the Education and Sociology Departments who have a demonstrated financial need to continue their studies. The latest gift from Boyd’s estate continues the scholarship’s funding.

"This generous bequest from Mr. Boyd will have a profound and lasting impact on Fayetteville State University and its students," said Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Omar Bell in a press release. "It represents not just a financial gift but an investment in the future of our students, empowering them to pursue their dreams and achieve greatness. We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary commitment to their success.”

With a towering physical presence, Boyd was a four-year basketball and two-year football student athlete. The Pittsburgh-native was inducted into FSU’s athletic hall of fame in 2002. After graduating from FSU, he returned to Pittsburgh to lead a successful career in education, which was spent mainly as a principal.

Sadly, Boyd died on August 7, 2022. He included FSU in his estate because he “believed in paying back and paying forward.”