WCU Stories      March 10, 2025

By Bill Studenc

A first-generation college student who earned his bachelor's degree at Western Carolina University before embarking upon a 46-year career including several posts on Capitol Hill has created a new endowed scholarship fund to support social work students at his alma mater.

Wardell Townsend,  former assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and wife Diane Martin recently made a $100,000 contribution to WCU to establish the Honorable Wardell Townsend and Ms. Diane Martin Endowed Scholarship Fund. The gift was made possible by the transfer of stocks and securities to the WCU Foundation.

The fund will provide financial support to undergraduate and graduate students in social work and assist with out-of-classroom expenses such as clinical rotations, undergraduate research and internship opportunities. Preference will go to students with demonstrated financial need, with special consideration to students who are members of groups that are underrepresented at WCU or are first-generation college students.

The first award of $5,000 will be made for the 2025-2026 academic year. Recipients will be recognized as “Townsend Scholars.”

“We are extremely proud of the long and successful career enjoyed by Wardell Townsend, who is among our program’s most distinguished alumni,” said Tonya Westbrook, head of WCU’s Department of Social Work. “We also are so very appreciative that he and Diane have decided to give back in such a meaningful way to the place where he got his start. This gift will provide critical financial support to social work students as they pursue the skills and experiences necessary to help vulnerable members of society navigating challenges they face in life.”

The newly created scholarship fund is the latest in a long history of support from Townsend, a former member of the WCU Board of Trustees and WCU Foundation Board of Directors. He is founder and former chair of WCU’s National Capital Alumni Club.

A resident of Apex, Townsend is a 1975 graduate of WCU, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology and social work before going on to receive his master’s degree in social work at West Virginia University in 1979.

A first-generation college student, he grew up in a military household with five siblings. “When I attended WCU, I met many, many kinds of people. When you grow up as a military dependent, the people around you are self-selected. The great majority of my classmates at WCU came from civilian households that gave honor to farming, banking, health care, construction, government and a wide range of hands-on commerce,” Townsend said.

“The interactions with my classmates made me aware of the military’s contribution to the general welfare and safety of all these civilian households that make America what it is. Rather than seeing my classmates as alumni who join in their family’s traditions, all too often I was very saddened to learn that several of my friends would not be returning for the next quarter. Most often they needed to find a job to help their families, or their families could no longer afford the costs,” he said.

That realization prompted Townsend to make two commitments after his graduation in 1975 – to make a financial contribution every year to WCU no matter how small and to join the National Association of Social Workers, paying dues annually.

“I have kept these commitments because it can change lives for the better. I learned that it is not just the intellectual growth and stimulation, but it is rendering yourself open to new people and new ways of looking at a big world,” he said. “Some of my classmates who did not return to WCU for financial reasons were some of the most thoughtful, intelligent, open-minded, curious and academically committed people I knew. Had they been able to complete their studies, I believe their future contributions to WCU would be greater than mine.”

Townsend said that he and Martin were moved to establish the scholarship fund for social work students out of their shared belief that “doors will open, so be prepared.” 

“We believe in scholarly pursuits in developing the best practices in social work. Critical thinking is not limited to the domain of ethics, philosophy, math, religion or law. It is required for social work practice in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, courts, welfare offices, insurance companies, homeless shelters, counseling centers and a variety of government and nonprofit organizations. As long as there are people, we will need people with social work skills,” he said.

“Our hope is that the financial burden will be lightened for these scholars,” Townsend said. “We hope this scholarship will fund options for these scholars that might otherwise be beyond their financial reach. Affordable, outside-the-box experiences can expand understanding and stimulate further study and investigation. Stay hungry for knowledge from all sources, especially personal experiences.”

A former resident of Asheville, Martin said she felt it was important to join her husband in his support of the regional comprehensive university serving Western North Carolina.

“I spent my formative years living in Asheville with my family. My brothers and I attended Buncombe County public schools, including A.C. Reynolds High School, from which I graduated. Although I did not attend WCU, several of my classmates did,” Martin said.

“As someone who lived in Western North Carolina for many years, the Blue Ridge Mountains became a part of my soul. I view WCU as a place where students who also grew up in those mountains can pursue a top-notch education in an environment of great beauty, and I am pleased to add my financial support to our endowment,” she said.

After completing his master’s degree and working for two years in Morgantown, West Virginia, Townsend returned to WNC as director of the Community Development Department in Henderson County.

He later became a senior aide to U.S. Rep. James McClure Clarke of North Carolina and then worked for six years with U.S. Rep. Mike Espy of Mississippi, including serving as Espy’s chief of staff for five years. After President Bill Clinton named Espy secretary of agriculture, Townsend joined the department as assistant secretary for administration in 1993.

Townsend left federal employment in 1997, deciding to dedicate more time to family, church and volunteerism. He also formed his own management consulting firm, the Townsend Dantai.

Establishment of the Honorable Wardell Townsend and Ms. Diane Martin Endowed Scholarship Fund comes as WCU enters the public phase of its “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs. For more information or to make a contribution to the campaign, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.