Scholarship Program in Memory of George W. Longenecker
West Virginia Press Association
GLEN DALE, W.Va. — The board of directors of the West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (WVNLA) selected Adaline Cumpston, a senior at John Marshall High School, to receive a scholarship created in memory of George W. Longenecker. In 2024, WVLNA established the Longenecker Scholarship to encourage graduating high school seniors to apply for and enroll in the Landscape Architecture or Horticulture programs at West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.
The program offers recipients full tuition reimbursement for four semesters while they maintain a 3.0 grade point average with full credits in either the Landscape Architecture or Horticultural Programs.
Julie Robinson, WVNLA executive director, said, “We congratulate Adaline on the scholarship and welcome her into the nursery and landscape field. The scholarship is an opportunity for our association to invest in the future of our profession and a way to honor a man who was instrumental in establishing a Landscape Architecture program at West Virginia University.”
Longenecker dedicated a lifetime to the study and mentorship of landscape architecture and horticulture. He was instrumental in developing the landscape architecture program at West Virginia University, where he was beloved by his students and fellow faculty members for his personality and knowledge of plant materials. He founded and led the effort to organize and establish the West Virginia Botanic Garden in Morgantown. For 35 years, Longenecker served as an advisor for the Pennsylvania Conservancy-sponsored summer landscape architecture internship program for the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pa.
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West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc., established in 1939, is a professional trade association dedicated to supporting nursery and landscape businesses and vendors throughout the Mountain State.
WVNLA members support West Virginia college students studying horticulture and landscape architecture with scholarship opportunities. They also share expertise and support in their communities; meet for volunteer projects; and support worthy, industry-related endeavors through Association donations. Regionally, WVNLA co-owns the annual Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show along with the Maryland and Virginia associations.
For membership, events or mission priorities please visit https://wvnla.org/
