Valdosta State University celebrates a 100-year partnership with the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1916, the General James Jackson chapter of the organization established a fund that provided short-term loans to students pursuing their higher education goals.
 
“We believe that an educated citizenry is critical to the maintenance of our country as a democracy in a republic,” said Dana Anderson, Georgia State Society NSDAR Scholarship chairwoman. “By investing in the education of Georgia’s citizens, we ensure the continuance of our form of government, the liberty of the American people, and an optimal quality of life for all Georgians. We have a long and proud investment in VSU’s service to Georgia.”
 
In the early 1900s, the Georgia State Society NSDAR committed $10,000 to establish a loan fund for colleges in Georgia. Individual chapters throughout the state were given a portion of the monies to distribute to their local institutions.
 
The General James Jackson DAR chapter in Valdosta administered $500 to Georgia State Womans College in the fund’s first year. (In 1950, GSWC became a coeducational institution. The name was changed to Valdosta State College. The school achieved university status in 1993.)
 
In 1922, the General James Jackson DAR chapter decided to expand the local fund and successfully raised $1,500. The organization decided to honor one of its own by naming the fund after the chapter’s regent, Claudia Davis Ingram.
 
Claude Davis Ingram, was born around 1881 as Claudia Davis. She married a local pharmacist, N. Di Ingram II, and the Valdosta native joined the General James Jackson DAR chapter in June 1914 as a descendant of John Roberts of North Carolina. She served as regent of the chapter and administered the loan fund to GSWC for 16 years before giving the responsibility to the college.
 
Ingram’s husband passed away in 1945, and in 1948, she was named the resident head of Senior Hall at GSWC.
 
The Claude Davis Ingram DAR Fund annually benefits more than 30 students each year, with the average student receiving a $1,200 loan. Over the past seven years, a total of $307,275.70 has been loaned out to students from the fund alone.
 
The Claude Davis Ingram DAR Fund is a fixed amount of money loaned to a student to help cover the cost of tuition and fees. To qualify, a student must be registered for the upcoming semester, have a GPA of 2.0 or greater, have no holds on his or her student account, meet credit history requirements, show a means to pay back the loan, show proof of U.S. citizenship, and apply for the loan in person. The funds are distributed by VSU Student Financial Services.
 
Funds are distributed at the beginning of the semester, and must be paid back in full at the end of the semester. The loan carries a 5 percent interest rate, which continues to build the fund and ensures its vitality for future years.
 
“The short-term loan funds are a tool used to help enable students to continue their education,” said Jennifer Griffin, university accountant. “Each student deserves the right to a better education, and with the loans VSU offers, we can help the students reach their educational goal.”
 
The NSDAR, founded in 1890, boasts over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters globally. Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. The nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women's service organization focuses its effort on three pillars: patriotism, American history, and education.
 
Please contact Jennifer Griffin at [email protected] to learn more about the Claude Davis Ingram DAR Fund and other short-term loan funds available at VSU.