Legacy Spotlight – Foust Alum Scholarship

Like many great stories of entrepreneurship, this one starts in a single-car garage in 1953. In a small house on Ong Street in Amarillo, J.W. and Nell Foust started their own printing company. They worked out of their garage for four years until they bought Whitney Printing Company in 1957.  They later expanded their business when they purchased Russell Stationery in 1979. For almost 50 years, they worked side-by-side to grow their company until 2002 when J.W. passed away.  Nell continued the lead the family business until her death in 2018. Today, this small start-up, has grown into a multi-million dollar corporation known as Foust Incorporated and is divided into three divisions: Whitney Russell Printers, WhitCo Checks, and WhitCo Stamps & Engraving.  Today, the business continues to be family owned and operates under the principles that J.W. and Nell worked hard to achieve: outstanding service, high quality, and fair prices.

Dr. Nell Foust celebrating her 90th birthday

Dr. Nell Foust

Nell Foust grew up during the Great Depression and graduated from Clyde High School in 1944. Before marrying J.W., she worked as a sales clerk in a dress shop in Vernon and eventually became the manager of the store. Once they relocated to Amarillo, she worked as a bookkeeper for Kress & Co. until their business grew and she quit her job to work alongside J.W. in their print shop. The leadership provided by Mrs. Foust positively impacted society by assisting the economic growth and development of business operations in Texas and beyond via services and interactions, by providing jobs to the men and women that encompass her various business holdings, and by supporting numerous charitable and outreach efforts.  Advancing society through hard work, investing in business operations, providing opportunities to people that lead to personal and business growth, and investing in the community are all part of the Nell Foust legacy.  Mrs. Foust was very generous with her financial support and time dedication to many local and national charities including: Kids, Inc., The Salvation Army, Red Cross, First Baptist Church, Girl Scouts of Texas – Oklahoma Plains, AMBUCS, Ronald McDonald House, March of Dimes, Amarillo Prayer Breakfast, Amarillo High School, Presbyterian Children’s Home, The Bridge, Turn Center, The Don and Sybil Harrington Discovery Center, and the Amarillo Area Foundation. For many years, Nell Foust was dedicated to advancing West Texas A&M University via a variety of efforts supporting athletics, student scholarships, and various other activities.  She was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in business administration by West Texas A&M University on December 11, 2015. J.W. Foust completed his B.B.A. at WT in 1943 and was honored in 1991 with the Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award. J.W. and Nell attended many athletic and foundation events through the years.

Foust Scholarship 

Nell Foust with long-time business associate and WT College of Business alumnus, Gene Sanders

J.W. and Nell Foust were loyal supporters of WT for over 50 years, which includes the establishment of the J. W. & Dr. Nell Foust Alumni Legacy Scholarship in the Engler College of Business. Priority candidates should have a parent, grandparent, sibling, or equivalent as a WTAMU alumnus to financially support students that are part of an institutional legacy.  Minimum award is $2,000 per year.  Mike Foust, Jake Foust, and Gene Sanders support the scholarship fund endowment with an annual golf tournament, College of Business alumni gifts not designated to a specific outlet (e.g., alumni annual fund or College of Business donations through the Alumni Association) are added to the Foust Scholarship, and every dollar added to the fund is matched by the Paul and Virginia Engler Foundation.  If you would like to donate to the fund or apply for a 2020-2021 scholarship award as a legacy student, please contact Lynsee Womble (lwomble@wtamu.edu or 806-651-2526).  The Engler College of Business is grateful to the Foust family and friends for creating a scholarship outlet that connects the past, present, and future of West Texas A&M University.

Foust Professorship of Business

Mike Foust, Trevor Watkins, Gene Sanders, and Jake Foust

Friends of the Engler College of Business and the Paul & Virginia Engler Foundation established the Foust Professorship of Business in 2019 to honor the legacy of J.W. and Nell Foust.  The professorship is established to advance the mission of the Engler College of Business and honor of the legacy of J.W. and Nell Foust as Texas Panhandle business pioneers.  Dr. Trevor Watkins is the current Foust Professor of Business.