Major donation at NSU helps students

Hundreds of college students will get scholarships, thanks to the largest donation ever received by Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. <br><br>Freda James Burtner donated a nearly one million-dollar

Tuesday, November 12th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Hundreds of college students will get scholarships, thanks to the largest donation ever received by Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

Freda James Burtner donated a nearly one million-dollar estate to Northeastern. Burtner graduated back in 1939 with a teaching degree. She died last spring, leaving her estate to Northeastern.

The university will create an endowment, which will help, as many as 100 students each semester with scholarships. Jim Howard, Northeastern Vice President, "she will touch people for more years in the future than have passed since she was here. She'll be touching students forever."

Northeastern hopes to hand out the first Burtner scholarships in about a year.