Donor Biography

VR Magleby was born in Monroe, Utah, on February 8, 1916. He was the sixth of eight children, two of which did not survive to adulthood. His name caused him some problems during his life, especially when he applied for a passport. The initials don't stand for anything; he was named after a young Mexican man his parents befriended in Mexico (in Spanish it is spelled ""Vellyar"").

VR grew up on a small, 50-acre farm. His family was very poor, but he said he did not realize that because everyone else he knew was poor as well. He stated in his history that he was lazy; his brother worked all the time, but VR would rather play. However, he questioned how smart his brother was when one day he let his brother borrow his horse to deliver papers, and he brought the wrong horse home. How could anyone not recognize his horse? (His brother went on to get a PhD in sociology!)

VR moved to Cedar to attend BAC, and he worked on the collage farm (located where the SUU Centrum is now). The next summer, he worked for Parley Dalley, an agriculture professor at BAC. During his time at BAC professor Dalley had never paid him, however when VR went to Logan to finish his education Professor Dalley then sent VR his salary--one-third at a time. VR said he would never have made it through school without that money. Smart Professor! VR had a B.S. degree in Animal Husbandry but could not find a job, so he went back to school for a teaching certificate in Vocational Agriculture.

In the fall of 1939, VR met and married Ila Stott. After marrying he held various jobs, teaching positions at Cyprus High, was drafted and became a military administrator, taught at the deaf school in Ogden, and was the head of the Agriculture Department at Snow College. Ila was unhappy in Ephraim, so when he was offered a job at BAC in Cedar, they decided to take the offer even though it was a $500 pay cut. Ila said she would get a job to make up the difference,

VR received his master's degree in Dairy Science and then supervised the dairy farm at SUSC. All I am today I owe to 'udders,' he said. VR taught agriculture and biology for 33 years. VR received SUU's ""Distinguished Educator"" award the year he retired. Then he did something he had always wanted to do: He bought a small farm and spent a few years raising hay, a garden, and a few horses and cows. This scholarship is in memory of all the folks who helped a poor kid from a small town see his dreams come true. Maybe it can help a few more dreams come true.

Scholarship Criteria

Awarded to an Agriculture student demonstrating financial need from South Sevier High School in Monroe, UT. If not available, an Agriculture student demonstrating financial need from any geographic location.

Health Sciences

Agriculture Sci/Nutritonal Sci

Varied Dollars/yr