**SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS MUST BE POST MARKED BY February 11, 2009**

SAM SEABOLT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
LARRY J. MILDREN GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
ED SUPINA PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP

These scholarships are awarded by the TR Symposium for the Southwest Board of Directors to support pre-service education in therapeutic recreation. Professional education and involvement at the undergraduate and graduate levels are considered a critical component of creating and maintaining sound service delivery systems in therapeutic recreation.

One (1) seven hundred and fifty dollar ($750.00) Larry J. Mildren scholarship may be awarded each year to a student at graduate level. One (1) seven hundred fifty dollar ($750.00) Sam Seabolt Memorial Scholarship may be awarded each year to an undergraduate student. One (1) seven hundred fifty dollar ($750.00) Ed Supina Professional Involvement Scholarship may be awarded each year to either a graduate or undergraduate student.

Scholarship Application

SAM SEABOLT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
In 1988, the scholarship award program was designated as the Sam Seabolt Memorial Scholarship in honor of the Southwest's and nation's foremost therapeutic recreation practitioner from Vinita, Oklahoma and Eastern State Hospital.

Seabolt was a pioneer in the therapeutic recreation profession. Starting at Eastern State Hospital in 1951 after completing a master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Tulsa, he served as director of therapeutic recreation at Eastern for sixteen years, followed by the position of director of rehabilitation services until 1988 - for a total of thirty-seven years at the same facility.

In 1952, Seabolt helped form and was a charter member of the National Association of Recreation Therapists, which later became the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. He served as national president of both organizations and was national registration chairperson for NTRS for a period of eight years. Seabolt believed that the profession of therapeutic recreation was an integral part of the overall recreation profession, and with this belief, helped form the Oklahoma Recreation and Park Society as a charter member in 1956. He served this organization, ORPS, as vice-president of the TR Branch and served two terms as a member of the Board of Directors.

The highlight of Seabolt's career came in 1976 in Boston, Massachusetts at the annual NRPA Congress for Recreation and Parks. Sam Seabolt became the first practitioner to ever be awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. Previously, in 1965 he had been awarded the Governor’s Award for Mental Health from the state of Oklahoma. He also received the Distinguished Service Award as the top recreation professional from the Oklahoma Recreation and Park Society in 1978. His adjunct community services included ten years on the Board of Education for the Vinita Public Schools; eighteen years as a member, including two terms as president, of the Vinita Lions Club; and twenty-two years in various areas of the Public Employees Association of Oklahoma.

Seabolt's strong beliefs in the future of the therapeutic recreation profession and his philosophy that "TR"" should be a part of the overall recreation services delivered to all citizens earned him respect and a strong following in the southwest region and the nation. He passed away in Vinita, Oklahoma on June 30,1988.

LARRY J. MILDREN GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
In 1995, the Executive Board of the Therapeutic Recreation Symposium for the Southwest set up a graduate scholarship award in honor of Larry J. Mildren, CTRS, CLP.

In 1978, Mildren helped form and was a charter member of the TR Symposium for the Southwest. He also served as chair of the Executive Board from 1978 - 1994 and remains a Founding Member of the Executive Board to this date. Mildren has held many other offices since 1972 including state coordinator, Oklahoma Special Olympics; president, Oklahoma Recreation and Park Society; chairman, Southwest Regional Council, NRPA; chairman, NRPA, National Congress for Recreation and Parks; executive secretary, Oklahoma Governor's Council for Physical Fitness and Sports; chair, Project P.L.A.Y., Oklahoma City Community Council of Central Oklahoma Starting Right Project; and chair, Southern District, National Associating Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Mildren has worked professionally in the field of recreation and therapeutic recreation since 1957 including 19 years as Recreation Therapy Program Supervisor, Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Mildren has received many awards for his dedication and service to the field of therapeutic recreation including the Distinguished Service Award for Top Professional in TR in the United States, NTRS; Distinguished Service Award, The Athletic Congress; Distinguished Service Award, Southwest Region, NRPA; Distinguished Service Award, ORPS; and the Edward M. Kennedy Award, Special Olympics.

Ed Supina Professional Involvement Scholarship

Ed Supina began his career in Therapeutic Recreation in 1968 at Timberlawd Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas, Texas. For the next 27 years he wore many hats at Timberlawn. A Teacher, A Coach, An Intramural and Recreation Organizer, A Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, An Activity Advisor, A Unit Group Leader, and a Department Director just to name a few. As Department Director he reorganized all the adjunctive therapies into one working group and with this format an Activity Program was developed for the Patients at Timberlawn, which received National recognition from the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. In 1996 Ed's focus changed and he became a Program Supervisor and later added the duties of Facility Manager for Bachman Recreation Center, a City of Dallas Park and Recreation Center, which provides recreation, programs for physical and mental disabled individuals.

Through out his 35+ years of professional service Ed has been very active at Local, State, Regional and National Professional Societies serving on committees and as a officer. His work has been recognized by various awards at all the levels of his involvement. Ed has been involved with the development of several professional organizations including being one of the three founders ol the THERAPEUTIC RECREATION FOR THE SOUTHWEST.

With all this involvement Ed still found time to be involved directly or indirectly with over 275 Therapeutic Recreation Interns, many of which are Department Directors and active in various professional societies today. Whether it be an Intern, a participant, a patient, a co-worker or fellow professional Ed's greatest reward has been to see an individual accomplish something they thought they could never do.

Scholarship Application

Sam Seabolt Memorial Scholarship Winners
Larry J. Mildren Scholarship Winners
Ed Supina Professional Invovlement Scholarship Winners