HMCAC Endowments
The HMCAC currently has five endowments honoring individuals who personified the Auburn Spirit and were committed to the HMCAC mission. In 2010, Dr. Charles Horton, a past HMCAC president, encouraged the board to begin building endowments in order to honor these much deserving individuals and ensure that their legacies continued by supporting future Auburn alumni. Endowments recipients are selected by Auburn's Office of University Scholarships.
If you would like more information on the distribution of our endowments, contact the office of scholarships or click below:
THE BROOKS & MARIAN MOORE ENDOWMENT - ENDOWED AT $25,000
This scholarship honors two of Huntsville’s most loyal and long serving Auburn alumni, Brooks and Marian Moore. Both Lifetime Members of the Auburn Alumni Association, Brooks and Marian were exemplary Auburn supporters for many decades.
Marian, who passed away in March of 2008, served on both the board of the Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club (President) and the board of directors of the National Auburn Alumni Association. Marian was very active in recruiting local students to attend Auburn University. She and Brooks personally established an endowed scholarship that has for over 30 years assisted outstanding students from Madison County attend Auburn University.
Brooks Moore, a graduate of Auburns’s College of Engineering also received a master's degree in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech. He spent over 50 years in Huntsville working with the space industry. While at NASA Brooks worked closely with Dr. Wernher von Braun during the Apollo Program that first landed men on the moon. Because of his outstanding work with NASA, the Army Missile Command and private industry Brooks received many special honors including induction into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame and the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame. Brooks served many years on the Auburn Engineering Council and the Auburn Research Advisory Council.
No two individuals could better exemplify a life of dedication to their community, their profession and to Auburn University than Brooks and Marion Moore. The Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club honors their service with an endowed scholarship in their name.
the james t. tatum, jr. endowment - endowed at $25,000
Dr. James T. Tatum, Jr., was one of Auburn University’s greatest and most loyal supporters. His memory is honored on the Auburn campus with the James T. Tatum Jr. Strength and Conditioning Center as well as in Huntsville through his annual scholarship and golf tournament, both in his name.
A 1953 graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Tatum also obtained a law degree at the University of Alabama. He began his career as a test engineer for Rohm & Haas Company in Huntsville and later served in the Army Corps of Engineers as a research engineer at Redstone Arsenal. He later became a senior partner in the Huntsville firm of Berry, Ables, Tatum, Little and Baxter.
A major portion of his life’s work was devoted to making Auburn and the state of Alabama a better place to live and to learn through his contributions as a civic leader and a supporter of higher education. Tatum served sixteen years as a member of Auburn’s Board of Trustees, his service characterized by a selfless investment of time and resources. He was instrumental in helping foster Auburn’s rise to national prominence.
In 2000, Auburn University awarded Tatum posthumously one of the highest honors that may be bestowed by the institution upon an individual, the honorary Doctor of Laws degree. It was just the 143rd honorary degree in Auburn’s history.
THE LAURA HANKS ENDOWMENT - ENDOWED AT $12,500
Laura was the oldest child of Leroy and Nan Hanks, born July 26, 1963 in Huntsville, AL. She attended Chaffee Elementary, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands Elementary, Whitesburg Middle schools, and graduated from Grissom High in 1981. She was a member of Latham United Methodist Church.
Laura was Auburn, through and through, from her earliest years and eagerly looked forward to attending Auburn University. She enrolled at Auburn in the fall of 1981. She was popular with classmates and instructors, and never met a stranger. Her goal was to get her dream degree, one in corporate law, from Auburn. Regrettably, this goal would not be accomplished. Just after starting her junior year a dramatic event changed her life forever.
She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, and given about one year to live.
She underwent two surgeries, radiation and an experimental treatment. During all this she still wanted to go back to Auburn. She did make a few visits back and re-enrolled one term, but after two weeks had to drop out.
Laura had a deep and abiding love for Auburn University. She thought “The Auburn Creed” was a good guide for how one should conduct themselves and always kept one in her possessions. Laura died April 30, 1985 before her twenty-second birthday. She is buried in Valhalla Cemetery. On the left corner of her tombstone is written "Miss Sunshine", on the right corner is "The Auburn University Emblem". This signifies her personality and the university she loved so much.
Laura’s dad went to Auburn '58, with scholarship help. Her brother, Chris and sister-in-law Missy, are Auburn graduates of '89. All are Auburn Alumni Association life members.
Laura’s family and friends started a scholarship fund in her memory. In 1991, Mrs. Marian Moore and Laura’s dad discussed combining the Hanks fund into the Huntsville Madison County Auburn Club fund. It was presented to the then Board of Directors and they thought it was a good idea that would help the awareness of the Scholarship program, and approved the merger. The Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club would name their scholarship “The Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club's Laura E. Hanks Memorial Scholarship”.
The LARISSA CHASTAIN ENDOWMENT - ENDOWED AT $25,000
In 2015 with the help of an anonymous donor we created The Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club, Larissa Chastain Honorary Endowment.
Although our donor did not want any recognition for their generous gift, they did love the idea of naming the endowment in honor of a current or former club officer. Our board of directors unanimously chose Larissa Chastain, who has served on this board for over 10 years. In her time on the board she's put in over ten years serving as the club's scholarship co-chair and chair, vice-president, and president. Year after year she personally connects with our scholarship winners and their families, always treating them like they're one of her own.
Larissa Russell Chastain is a 1991 graduate of Auburn University. She was born in Dearborn, MI, but raised in Huntsville, AL. She received her degree in graphic design. As a student she was a Dunkin' Darling for the mens' basketball team, and was very active in the Auburn Christian Fellowship. After graduation she married Mark Chastain, '92. They have 3 children, Carley, Claire, and Ethan. While making Huntsville home, Larissa became involved with the Huntsville-Madison County Auburn Club. She soon after became involved with the student scholarship committee. On this committee, her dedication to Auburn and future Auburn students has led her to be a passionate voice for both.