Carl Albert State College (CASC) received a generous $100,000 gift from Clifford Gene Thompson to establish the Clifford Thompson Scholarship; this scholarship will assist students with achieving their educational goals. Each year, a $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to a high school graduate from LeFlore, Latimer, Sequoyah, Haskell, or Adair County who is pursuing an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration with the option in Accounting at Carl Albert State College.

Thompson is an avid proponent of education who supports his firm belief in the importance of matching an individual’s skill set with academic preparation. Cliff grew up on a farm south of Poteau and is a 1963 graduate of Poteau High School. He began his higher educational journey at Poteau Community College, now Carl Albert State College, completing one year of study before serving four years in the U.S. Air Force.

After discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he returned to Poteau Community College to continue his studies. It was under the tutelage of the late Ms. Peggy Perdue, an accounting teacher at Poteau Community College that kindled and helped develop Cliff ’s interest and fondness of accounting. After completing two years of college study at Poteau Community College, Cliff earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Tulsa and subsequently a Master of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University-East Texas State. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Oklahoma and Texas. During his professional career he served in multiple capacities including as an accountant for Baylor Health Care System in Dallas and he was the Chief Financial Officer at the Baylor Research Institute. He retired in 2007 from American Airlines and moved back to Poteau where he served as past president of the Poteau High School Alumni Association, creating scholarships for Poteau High School graduates to aid with college expenses. Since retirement he has been a volunteer with the Poteau Chamber of Commerce, assisting with the annual BalloonFest and Holiday Parades. He was a Hospice volunteer for a few years and was active with the Poteau Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He currently resides in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

“On behalf of Carl Albert State College and the CASC Development Foundation, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to Mr. Thompson for this remarkable gift that will transform the lives of local students and their families for many years to come. It is a privilege to see community leaders like Mr. Thompson whose profound educational and life experiences have fueled his passion to give back, placing an emphasis on the importance of students’ success in their educational pursuits.” Dr. Jay Falkner, CASC President, said.