Scholarships to support agriculture-, natural resources- or science-minded students
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Nancy Riggan Green and her husband, James C. Green, have established two endowed scholarships at the University of Tennessee to honor Nancy’s parents, Rufus H. Riggan and Christine Waters Riggan, both of whom were lifelong residents of Wilson County and proud UT alumni.
The Rufus and Christine Riggan Agricultural Science Scholarship Endowment, established through the Herbert College of Agriculture, and the Rufus and Christine Riggan UTK Science Scholarship Endowment will provide annual scholarship support to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science-related fields. As a tribute to the community where Rufus and Christine spent their entire lives and left an enduring mark, both scholarships are available to residents of Wilson County, Tennessee.
“They were very proud of their degrees,” Nancy said of her parents. “They were first generation, and they impressed upon us the importance of a college education. We just thought it was something that they would like.”
Rufus Riggan graduated from UT in 1941 with a degree in dairy science and went on to farm in Wilson County, where he was widely respected both for his work and his civic contributions, serving at one time as a magistrate. Christine Waters Riggan also graduated from UT and returned home to teach, first at Mount Juliet and later in Lebanon, where she became a fixture in the lives of generations of students. Nancy recalled her fondly: “My mother was just a sweetheart. At Christmas time, everybody baked cookies and made spiced tea, and she would host an open house for people. She washed the practice uniforms for the junior high football team and led magazine drives. She was involved in a lot of things.”
Nancy, who earned her Ph.D. in nutrition at UT and went on to a distinguished career in academia and industry, including serving as Vice President of Health and Wellness at PepsiCo, credits her parents with shaping her own commitment to education. Jim, who built a career in construction before earning a master’s degree in agriculture at Auburn University, likewise shares that conviction. “I think education is extremely important,” Nancy said. “If we could help somebody get an education while also honoring my parents, that was what we wanted to do.”
The decision to establish two separate scholarships — one through the UT Institute of Agriculture and one through the main Knoxville campus — reflects the paths both families took through UT. Rufus Riggan and Jim Green each studied agriculture, while Christine Riggan and Nancy studied on the main campus. “We wanted to do something to honor both parents,” Nancy explained. “My dad was in agriculture, and my mother was on the main campus, and Jim was in agriculture, and I was on the main campus. So it just kind of felt like we wanted to do both.”
Scholarships will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who are pursuing degrees in science-related fields. Preference will be given to students from Wilson County and to those demonstrating academic achievement, with financial need also a consideration. The Greens’ intent is for each scholarship to be substantial and, where possible, to support the same student throughout their undergraduate career.
The Greens, who have lived internationally and recently became citizens of Portugal, say they wanted Wilson County to know about the gift specifically because of how much Rufus and Christine meant to the community. “My parents spent their whole life in Lebanon, Tennessee,” Nancy said. “They were active in the community, and we would just like for people in that community to know that they’ve been honored.” Or, even more simply: “My parents were very good people. They were great parents, and we just wanted to do something to honor them.”
For more information about the Rufus and Christine Riggan scholarships, or to make a gift in support of the endowments, contact Madeline Shelly at mshelly@utfi.org or 865-974-0938.