By Felley Lawson
March 28, 2022
ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—An endowed scholarship has been established in Ouachita Baptist University’s Hickingbotham School of Business honoring Jim Rothwell, assistant dean of the Hickingbotham School and assistant professor of accounting at Ouachita. The Jim Rothwell Endowed Scholarship, which will be awarded to a freshman business major, was announced Friday, March 11, during the Hickingbotham School’s annual Business Administration Day luncheon held on campus.
The scholarship was established by the school’s executive advisory board in recognition of Rothwell’s dedication and service to Ouachita during his 40-year tenure as a member of the university’s business faculty. It was presented by John T. Hampton, chair of the advisory board.
“I’m so pleased to see the creation of this endowed scholarship in honor of Professor Rothwell,” said Bryan McKinney, dean of the Hickingbotham School, associate professor of business law and university counsel. “He has served Ouachita and Ouachita students selflessly for so many years. This idea emerged from our executive advisory board; I’m so pleased that they recognize the importance of the contributions that a faculty member makes over a career such as this.
“In an era when people bounce around from job to job, seeing a person commit to one place and establish roots is a beautiful thing,” he added. “I’m proud of Professor Rothwell and couldn’t be more pleased to see him honored in this meaningful way.”
Rothwell earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ouachita and a Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana Tech University. His responsibilities in the Hickingbotham School include leadership of the Four-Year Experience, a unique program initiated in Fall 2006 that gives students firsthand access to business leaders, educational opportunities and internships during each of their four years at Ouachita.
A member of the Arkansas Collegiate Teachers of Economics and Business (ACTEB), Rothwell also serves as Ouachita’s faculty athletic representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He is on the board of directors of the Pregnancy Center of Southwest Arkansas and is the football statistician for Arkadelphia High School’s media team. Rothwell and his wife, Melanie—also a Ouachita graduate—are active members of Arkadelphia’s First Baptist Church, where Rothwell is a deacon and Sunday school teacher.
“Ouachita is a very special place to my family and me,” Rothwell said. “I am so thankful that through this endowed scholarship, others will have the excellent education, experiences and life-long relationships that Ouachita offers. What a wonderful opportunity to help a student begin their journey through the Hickingbotham School of Business and enjoy life at Ouachita.”
In February, the Hickingbotham School extended its global accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier accrediting agency for business programs worldwide. Ouachita is the only AACSB-accredited private school in Arkansas and one of only nine undergraduate-only business schools in the world to earn the accreditation.
For more information about the Jim Rothwell Endowed Scholarship or about the Hickingbotham School of Business at Ouachita, contact Bryan McKinney at [email protected] or at (870) 245-5513. Give toward the scholarship by naming it in the instructions line at obu.edu/give.