Scholarship Named for Larry Drummond

UA and Alabama government officials
Officials from The University of Alabama, the Alabama Governor’s Office and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources met with members of the Drummond family Oct. 27. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Robert Olin, Dr. Judy Bonner, Scott Drummond, Governor Robert Bentley, Patrick Drummond, Commissioner Gunter Guy and Dan Moultrie.

From the November 2014 edition of Desktop News | The Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation has donated $50,000 to the College of Arts and Sciences to establish a scholarship in memory of UA alumnus Larry Drummond. The scholarship was made possible from proceeds of the Alabama Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt fundraiser hosted by the foundation earlier this year.

Larry Drummond, a Birmingham native, was an avid outdoorsman and Alabama businessman. With his brothers, he helped grow Drummond Co. Inc., founded by their father, Herman Drummond, in 1935, to one of the largest international coal companies in the nation.

Larry Drummond was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame and the State of Alabama Academy of Honor in 2011.

“Our family is extremely honored to have a scholarship at The University of Alabama endowed in memory of Larry Drummond,” said Patrick and Scott Drummond, sons of Larry Drummond. “Our father had a passion for the University and was dedicated to making our community and state stronger. We trust that this scholarship will represent for generations of deserving students the superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and character that he embodied.”

“Scholarships like this one make a significant difference in the lives of our students, now and for the rest of their lives,” said UA President Judy Bonner. “We appreciate the generosity of the foundation, and the fact that they provided these funds in memory of one of the University’s most successful graduates makes it even more special.”

“The Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation is proud to endow this scholarship in Larry Drummond’s memory,” said foundation president N. Gunter Guy Jr., who also serves as commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “He was an outstanding citizen of Alabama, and it is our hope that scholarship recipients will contribute to their communities just as Mr. Drummond did.”

Dan Moultrie, chairman of the 2014 Alabama Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt and member of the foundation, said Drummond’s passion for hunting and conservation were well known.

“Larry was a good friend and a great individual, and we’re so happy to be able to honor someone like that,” Moultrie said. “He was always supportive of the governor’s hunt and any conservation effort we wanted to undertake. It’s great to be able to give back to him, his family and the recipients who will benefit from this scholarship.”

Drummond graduated from UA in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration. He also received from the University a master’s degree in accounting in 1966 and a juris doctor in 1969.

An active member in his community, Drummond served in many civic and professional organizations, including the Alabama Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the board of visitors of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet.

He also served on the boards of directors of numerous organizations, including the Walker Area Community Foundation, the First Commercial Bank, the American Family Business Institute, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation. He is the former director of the Black Warrior Council of the Boy Scouts and a former member of the United Way of Central Alabama’s Le Societe National.

The Alabama Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt is designed to showcase the state as a destination for business, industry and nature-based tourism.