Stone Family Scholarships in the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

A conversation with Linda J. Stone and Jeffrey I. Stone.

Why did you choose to create a scholarship at Auburn University?
We received an excellent education at Auburn, and have been successful in our respective careers, in large part because of that strong foundation. We believe it is important to give back to the university that has given so much to us, and that there is no better way than to help afford deserving students the same opportunities we enjoyed at Auburn.

What would you want the recipients of this scholarship to know about the person for whom it is named?
The Stone family is orange and blue through and through. Our parents, four siblings, and three children are all Auburn graduates. The five in our immediate family have received degrees from five different colleges – COSAM, Engineering, Business, Architecture, Design, and Construction, and Human Sciences. Jeff is a civil engineer and Executive Vice President at Brasfield & Gorrie, a construction firm based in Birmingham. Linda is a pediatrician at Over the Mountain Pediatrics, an affiliate of Children’s of Alabama.

Tell us about your Auburn story, favorite tradition, a “War Eagle!” moment, or what Auburn has meant to you.
We grew up Auburn fans, attending some football games and always listening on the radio with our families. Auburn fans were definitely a minority in 1960s Birmingham, but we were resolute in our support. Neither of us seriously considered attending another university. We graduated from high school together, and were actually in the same calculus class that first fall quarter. We studied hard, and had great professors who wanted us to succeed. We were active on campus as well, and met some of our best friends for life. Auburn became home to us, and we loved every minute of our time as students. We started dating as juniors, and were married a year after we graduated. We have continued to be active at Auburn, serving on our College Leadership Councils and with the AU Foundation Board. Whenever we drive into town on North College, we still feel we are coming home!

What do you hope your recipients gain through this scholarship?
We hope our scholarship recipients will find it a little easier to meet their academic goals with our support and that they will have the same positive experience at Auburn we enjoyed. We also hope that these students come to appreciate the importance of giving back to Auburn and will provide opportunities for other students in the future.