Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club

Herschel A. “H.A.” McElroy, Jr. was born February 25, 1918, to Herschel A. McElroy, Sr. and Hawley Payne McElroy. A Bowling Green, Kentucky, native, H.A. attended and graduated from WKU. He then enlisted in the United States Army in 1944, and served until April 18, 1946. After returning home, he was office manager at Warren Rural Electric Co. He was active in the community as a member of First Baptist Church, the National Guard, and SCORE, which is a commission of retired executives. He was secretary of the Bowling Green Airport Board and a Kentucky Colonel.

He was also a founding member of Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club. The Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club was formed in 1949. The club was founded on three objectives: social, service, and education, all of which H.A. was passionate about. He passed away on April 16, 1998, at the age of 80.

To further give back to the community and to honor the legacy of two founding members, the club established the Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club—H.A. McElroy Scholarship Fund and the Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club—Jim Wilkens Scholarship Fund. The Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club—H.A. McElroy Scholarship Fund assists deserving WKU students who are majoring in special education, while the Bowling Green Evening Civitan Club—Jim Wilkens Scholarship Fund assists deserving sophomore WKU students who are majoring in special education. Through these funds, the club continues its mission and both H.A. and Jim’s legacies live on in perpetuity.