Duane Read, a resident of West Salem, Ohio has established The James Harold and Mabel Read Endowed Scholarship Award for Ashbrook Scholars at Ashland University through a gift from his estate plan.

The scholarship not only honors Read’s parents, but also serves as an expression of his commitment for local and Ohio students to be able to pursue an education within the framework of conservative principles.

Read and his father are both former mayors of the village of West Salem. Read is now retired from the Ohio Farmer’s (now Westfield) Insurance Company.

"My parents had a hard life and were never able to go to college," Read said. "My mother wanted to go to Ashland College when she graduated from high school, but was unable to. She worked for a number of years as a telephone operator in Ashland and during her later years she used to go to the Accent Room with ladies groups. She used to cut things out of the paper about the college.

"I have no children and have taken care of my brothers. I wanted to do something for mom and dad. This seemed like a good way to do it."