COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Jo Frances Trapp Shivers, who died in January 2002, left $15,000 to the Mississippi University for Women Foundation to establish the Jo Frances Trapp Shivers Scholarship Fund to be awarded to a worthy student.

Shivers, originally from Nettleton, graduated from MUW in 1935 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. While at The W, she was a member of the Nature Study Club, Beta Beta Beta, Chemistry Club, Commerce Club, Sophomore Cabinet, Junior Forum, Senior “Y” Group and Zouave.

The 1935 yearbook described her as “Pretty eyes and an infectious smile; a disposition which is sweet and amiable.”

“She just loved The W,” said R.B. Shivers, her husband. “She got a good education there and wanted to do something nice for it. The W meant a whole lot to her.”

After graduating from The W, Shivers moved to Mendenhall where she taught at Mendenhall Elementary School for 34 years. She also served as school coordinator for several of those years before retiring in 1973, the same year she married Mr. Shivers.

In addition to enjoying her years as a student at MUW, Mr. Shivers said one of his wife’s fondest memories of The W is when she returned for her “Golden Girls” reunion in 1985.

“She had a lot of fun reuniting with her classmates,” he said. “She just really enjoyed that.”

For information about this and other scholarships or how to establish a scholarship fund, please call MUW’s Office of Development at (662) 329-7146.

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