Congratulations to the winner of the 2023-’24 William Ralph Salyers Legacy Scholarship, Anna Knapp. Anna will receive $500 from this fund.
The William Ralph Salyers Legacy Scholarship was established in 2022 by Tanner Salyers in honor of his grandfather, who has been a strong, influential figure in his life, in the Salyers family, and in the Franklin Furnace community.
The son of Elihu and Clarice Elva (Prince) Salyers, William Ralph Salyers (who goes by Ralph), was born in March of 1946. His family moved to Ohio from Kentucky in the 1940s and settled on Big Pete Road in Franklin Furnace. Ralph was one of 12 siblings and belonged to the huge family of Salyers, who can still be found in the Franklin Furnace area today, according to Tanner.
Ralph and all his brothers and sisters attended Green High School, and since then, there has always been a member of the extended Salyers family attending Green Local Schools. Early in his career, Ralph worked as an Ironton police officer and then as a union laborer in several other jobs throughout most of his life. He served in the Army during the Vietnam War along with the Cincinnati Reds’ famed catcher Johnny Bench. One of Ralph’s prized possessions is a photo of him with Bench during the service, said his grandson.
Ralph married his wife Helen (known as Jeanie) in 1967, and together they have two children, Wendy Salyers, a registered nurse, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and a son, Shane Salyers, of Ironton, a retired sergeant with the Ohio State Patrol. Ralph and Jeanie have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Wendy Salyers, a registered nurse, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and a son, Shane Salyers, of Ironton, a retired sergeant with the Ohio State Patrol. Ralph and Jeanie have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Sadly, Ralph passed away on March 8, 2023.
To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must be a graduating senior from Green High School with a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Candidates must also show participation in athletics or other extracurricular activities in school. Ohio State fans will appreciate that recipients of this scholarship may not attend the University of Michigan.
The Scioto Foundation scholarship application will open on November 1st and close a few months later. Graduating seniors at Green High School are encouraged to apply.
For more information about this scholarship fund, other funds at the foundation, or the Scioto Foundation scholarship application, please contact Ginnie Moore, Grant and Scholarship Coordinator, by emailing ginnie@thesciotofoundation.org or calling the office at (740) 354-4612. Those wishing to make contributions to this fund may do so at any time. Online donations can be made by visiting www.sciotofoundation.org.
