Gates and his wife, Mary, have taken a bold step that illustrates their belief both in the youth of Ross County and the value of higher education. The couple has committed $10 million to create a scholarship fund that will help students graduating from Ross County high schools pursue college degrees. The donor-advised fund will be administered through The Ohio University Foundation, the private fund-raising arm of Ohio University.
"A college degree," Gates says, "is no guarantee for success. But without it, you don't stand a chance. It's what allows you to put your foot in the door with everybody else's feet."
The Gateses returned to their native Chillicothe shortly after Larry Gates retired. His 31-year career with Kraft Foods and subsequently its parent company, Philip Morris, took the couple around the world as Gates ascended to the position of senior vice president for human resources and administration.
The Gates scholarships are available to graduates of Ross County high schools who demonstrate the ability and ambition to succeed in college but lack the money provided by scholarships or financial aid to afford a college education. Scholarship recipients can attend the college or university of their choice, although Gates expects many to pursue degrees at Ohio University-Chillicothe or the university's Athens campus.
"There is a need here," Gates says. "People don't seek higher education at the rate they do elsewhere in Ohio or around the country. Someday this fund will generate $2 million a year in scholarships. That's my dream, and it will happen."
