Walter Willis Hammond Endowed Scholarship

Established in memory of Mr. Walter Willis Hammond and awarded annually to a student majoring in Range Management, Wildlife Management or Environmental Conservation of Natural Resources.

Mr. Walter Willis Hammond was a career-long employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) who resided in Lovington, New Mexico. During his professional career from 1960 to 1989 he served in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Willis graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Range Management from Texas Tech University.

Mr. Hammond was interested in watching young men and women develop into natural resource managers. He was particularly proud of his education at Texas Tech University and cherished fond memories of courses that he took with and from Professor John Hunter, one of the founders of the Range and Wildlife programs at Texas Tech.

Willis never married, so upon retirement from the NRCS, he enjoyed managing his investments and playing golf with his friends in Lovington. One of his passions during retirement was establishing a scholarship to provide opportunities for undergraduate students to pursue an education in range management.

Walter Willis Hammond was born March 24, 1933 in Nolan, Texas and passed away in Lovington, New Mexico on August 13, 2005. Mr. Hammond served in the U. S. Navy from 1952 to 1956. Mr. Hammond was one of seven children born to Walter and Maud Hammond; he had five brothers and one sister.

The scholarship is awarded annually, students of any classification are eligible; but, preference is given to students with more than 60 credit hours. Students majoring in Range Management, Wildlife Management or Environmental Conservation of Natural Resources are eligible. (Fisheries majors are excluded). The number and amount awarded annually varies. There are also provisions in the establishment document for funds to be used in general support of research activities in the designated areas of Range and Wildlife Management.

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