Perpetual honorarium scholarships

Barrie S. D. Archer

Barrie Wuichet Smith was born in East Liverpool on October 1st, 1945, daughter of William LeRoy Smith III and Virginia Purinton Smith. 

She graduated from East Liverpool High School in 1963 and earned a BA at Mount Union College in 1967, graduating cum laude.  At Kent State University, she earned her teaching certification (1984) and her Masters in Art Education (1993). 

Barrie has been involved on a long-term basis with art education in Belize and Mexico, traveling to both countries regularly to teach and study.  In 1997, Barrie was honored with the East Central Ohio Art Education Association Outstanding Art Teacher award.  The same year, she and Jeannie Barrett, Spanish teacher, began collaborating and won first place in the Interdisciplin-ary Approaches to Teaching about the World competition.  This award was sponsored by Ohio State University’s University Center for International Studies and the Office of Foreign Languages of Columbus City Schools.  In 1999, they won the Columbiana County Educational Service Center Teaching Practice award for a bilingual interdisciplinary project focusing on Mayan architecture and astronomy.  They have been awarded grants by the American Institute for Foreign Study Foundation; the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the Regional Professional Development Center.

Barrie has been listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers (2004 and 2006) and Who’s Who in American Women (2006).  Her professional affiliations are many.

The family pottery, Taylor Smith & Taylor (TS&T) was an early proving ground for Barrie’s artistic endeavors.  She worked there for a year as an assistant designer.  From TS&T, Barrie went on to be a printmaking instructor at the Canton Art Institute.  She then moved into middle school and high school art instruction with positions in the Jackson school district and in Massillon, Ohio before settling at Beaver Local High School.  She taught at Beaver Local for 25 years until her retirement in 2010.

Her volunteer work has been as varied as her professional achievements.  Barrie has served in several Pottery Festival directorships.  She has been an executive committee member for the Scholarstic Art Awards since 1997.  Barrie has also served in a variety of positions with the East Central Ohio Art Education Association.

With the Ohio Art Education Association, Barrie has held the positions of second vice-president and commercial exhibitors chairperson.  She was a director for TMF from 1996 through 2006.  She frequently served as a TMF awards committee member as well.

Barrie has two daughters and a stepson. This scholarship is given in her honor by her brother, William L. Smith IV, and his wife Dorothea Smith.

Delores V. "Dee" Billingsley

Delores Virginia “Dee” McCoy was born March 30th, 1932 in East Liverpool, daughter of Denzel McCoy and Kathleen Otley McCoy. 

In 1952, Dee married William Gaylord “Gay” Billingsley.  They are the parents of three children: William Curtis “Curt” Billingsley, Jeffrey Ross Billingsley and Amy Sue Billingsley Wagner.  Their three grandsons are Benjamin A. Wagner, Ethan W. Wagner and Jacob A. Wagner.  The Billingsleys have lived in East Liverpool for most of their lives, and retired from the grocery business in 1990.

Dee has long been active in community and charitable activities.  She served on the Columbiana County Department of Human Services and with the office of Columbiana County Children‘s Services.  She worked on committees for the Tri-State Pottery Festival; the Thompson Park Ethnic Days; and the Ohio River Art Gallery.  She is also a longtime volunteer for the East Liverpool City Hospital Ladies’ Auxiliary.

Using puppets she had designed herself, Dee performed many times at Carnegie Public Library’s children’s story hour.  She also visited many area classrooms telling stories with her puppets.  Getting involved with the “Ohio Reads” Program for East Liverpool City Schools was one of Dee’s most rewarding experiences.  One of her favorite jobs is to help plant and maintain the Thompson Park flower beds.

This honorarium was given by Dee’s husband Gay to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary.

Colonial Club of East Liverpool

The Colonial Club of East Liverpool was launched in 1905, and was originally founded as a travel group known as the Baedeker Club. The name was later changed to the Colonial Club. The club disbanded in May 2009, after 104 years. The ladies of the Colonial Club were longtime supporters of TMF. They are proud to have launched this perpetual honorarium in support of local students pursuing a post-secondary education. 

East Liverpool Lions Club

The Lions Club was formed by Chicago businessman Melvin Jones in 1917.  The purpose of this new endeavor was sight-saving.  The Lions became an international group in 1920.  On September 17th, 1924, 21 East Liverpool doctors, lawyers and businessmen began meeting every Friday and on February 23rd, 1925, the East Liverpool Lions Club was chartered. 

Perhaps the single event having the greatest impact on the association’s service commitment occurred in 1925, when Helen Keller addressed the Lions at their international convention at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.  She challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.”  The Lions Club International Foundation is the oldest service organization in the world and the organization's motto is simply, “We Serve.”

The East Liverpool Lions Club has served the community in a variety of ways.  Various fundraisers are held to provide the money necessary for eye exams, eyeglasses and eye surgeries.  Annual eye screenings are conducted for early elementary school students by a local optometrist, assisted by club members.  The Lions Club supports Ohio Lions in Columbus, Ohio; the Ohio Lions purchase pilot dogs for the blind.  The ongoing collection of used eyeglasses aids needy people in other countries who do not have regular access to eye care.  The Lions also promote and support diabetes research.

Current fundraisers for the Sight-Saving Program are the Annual Apple Sale held in October and a yard sale—combined with a hot dog and bake sale—held each summer.  Other items sold to benefit the work of the Lions include brooms, trash bags and mints, with new ideas being introduced every year.  An annual Children’s Christmas Party is held each year for needy first-graders. 

The Pottery Festival Queen and her court have been honored at the Friday noon lunch meeting since the inception of the Pottery Festival.  Another community outreach effort is the East Liverpool High School Band concert each fall in Devon’s Diamond in downtown East Liverpool. 

In 1987, the Lions Club International announced that women would be admitted to the club, which was formerly open only to men.  The local chapter began accepting women into the membership in 1990.  The East Liverpool Lions Club approved funding this perpetual honorarium scholarship in order to support local students in their pursuit of a post-secondary education.

Robert R. Lewis

Bob Lewis was one of a small group of local citizens who helped to launch the Tri-State Area Citizens' Foundation (CSF) in 1962. After operating under the auspices of the national Dollars for Scholars organization for many years, in 2013, CSF changed its name to the Tri-State Area Tuition Mission Foundation (TMF). For many years, Bob has served as the TMF Alumni Vice-President. This perpetual honorarium scholarship was given by the Rotary Club of East Liverpool to honor Bob's decades of service to TMF and area students.