Charles and Bertha Broadway of Bryant, Arkansas
Family and friends of the late Charles and Bertha Broadway of Bryant have established the Charles and Bertha Broadway Memorial Scholarship to honor their lives and their recognition of the importance of education to their family.
The endowed gift, made possible by memorial contributions and the family, creates the first-ever Arkansas State University System scholarship. It will be awarded annually to a student attending the Saline County Career Technical Center-ASU Three Rivers in Benton. The recipient will be able to use the scholarship at any of the seven institutions of the ASU System.
“Neither of our parents had the opportunity to finish high school,” said Shane Broadway, son of the Broadways and vice president for university relations at the ASU System. “Our father joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, and our mother went to work to support her family after some health issues. But they both firmly believed in the power of education and instilled in us the importance of receiving an education because they always wanted us to have a better life than what they had.”
Charles Broadway, who died in 2007, retired from the Arkansas Department of Transportation and served as president of the Arkansas Highway Retirees Association. In 2001 he received an honorary high school diploma from Bauxite High School. Bertha Broadway, a native of Wynne, worked for the Bryant School District and the First Baptist Church of Bryant before they were both able to enjoy their retirement. She died in 2021.
“We are grateful to the Broadway family for their decision to support higher education in this meaningful way,” said Dr. Chuck Welch, president of the ASU System. “The ASU System values its relationship and partnership with Saline County and the Broadway family. I know Charles and Miss Bertha would be proud of their family’s decision to support students for many years to come.”
The Saline County Career Technical Campus-ASU Three Rivers opened in fall 2021 and is an innovative partnership offering students from six Saline County school districts the opportunity to take concurrent classes in 10 different workforce pathways, including automotive technology, construction, cybersecurity, health sciences, residential HVAC, industrial technology, manufacturing, networking and welding. Those schools are Bauxite, Benton, Bryant, Glen Rose, Harmony Grove and Sheridan High Schools.
“The people of Saline County, the ASU System and its institutions have been there for our family on so many occasions through the years,” Shane Broadway said. “We wanted to give back to those who have blessed us in so many ways. We cannot think of a better way to share our parents’ legacy forever than to endow a scholarship for a student from our county that will last until the end of time.”
Students interested in this scholarship should inquire with their high school counselor.