Overton R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship

The National Pan-Hellenic Council of Virginia Tech offers the annual Overton R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of Dr. Overton R. Johnson, who became the first Black academic faculty member at Virginia Tech in 1969. Dr. Johnson made significant contributions to Virginia Tech history, serving as the first president of the Virginia Tech Black Faculty/Staff Caucus and as the first Black dean, serving as Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from July to December 1975. He was also a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. This scholarship is open to any current Virginia Tech student who will be enrolled full-time for the 2026-27 academic year. Students awarded the scholarship must be enrolled as a full-time student for 2026-2027 and are not required to be a member of a Greek-lettered organization. The scholarship provides $1,000 to support the recipient's education at Virginia Tech. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 15th, 2026. Late, incomplete, and/or applications that fail to adhere to application instructions will not be considered. The application requires students to reflect on leadership experiences related to Dr. Johnson's belief that leadership is most effective when it brings people together and creates space for different voices to be heard.