Dorothy and Lester Reeves
Dr. Dorothy E. Reeves and Lester D. Reeves are long-time friends of WKU. Dorothy was born on March 28, 1924 to Lacy Leroy Ewing and Nannie Maude (Spears) Ewing Robertson. She graduated from WKU with her bachelor’s degree in history from the Potter College of Arts and Letters in 1953. While at WKU, she worked as secretary to President Paul Garrett. While earning her Master of Arts in education from WKU, she taught at Alvaton High School. Following a break to raise her children, she pursued her doctorate of education at George Peabody Teacher College, now Vanderbilt University. She then returned to the Hill as a professor in the Department of Education. There she authored a textbook on statistics. She remained in that position until her retirement in 1987.
Dorothy served as president of the Bowling Green Woman’s Club, the Bowling Green Noon Lioness Club, and was co-owner and vice-president of Reeves Food Centers and Jr. Food Stores. She was also a long-time member of the Presbyterian Church and an accomplished artist.
Lester was born on May 9, 1922 to Ethel and Doile Dennis Reeves. He graduated from WKU in 1947, with a Bachelor of Science in physics from the Ogden College of Science and Engineering. After graduation, however, he struggled to find jobs in that field. Because of this, he took up operating the Village Market on WKU’s campus. This led to a long history of entrepreneurial success. Since opening the Village Market on WKU’s campus in 1947, Dorothy and Lester built the Reeves Food Centers in Southcentral Kentucky, which operated seven supermarkets until their sale in 1983. They also founded the Jr. Food Stores chain that operated approximately 60 convenience stores in Kentucky and northern Tennessee. The stores were purchased by Houchens Industries in 1998. Lester then became chairman of Reeves Enterprises, Inc., a commercial real estate company.
Lester was also a veteran. He fought in World War II as a member of the 78th Infantry Division that was active in battles of the Hurtgen Forest, Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany. He received a Purple Heart for injuries during the Remagen Battle. He was recommended for and received a Bronze Star for his services. Lester was active in his community as an elder in the Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He served as President of the Kentucky Grocers Association, Board Member of the National Grocers Association, President of the Bowling Green Lions Club, District Governor of Lions International, and President of the Bowling Green Warren County Chamber of Commerce.
Dorothy and Lester have four children: Alan, Brian, Lynn, and Robin. They moved to Panama City, Florida in 1997 where they remained until her passing in 2017 and his in 2019. They were married for 73 years.
To further their positive impact at WKU, Dorothy and Lester established several scholarships in their names: the Dorothy and Lester Reeves Scholarship Fund in 1973, the Dr. Dorothy E. Reeves Scholarship Fund, and the Lester D. Reeves Scholarship Fund, both in November of 2008. Each of the funds offers assistance differently: the Dorothy and Lester Reeves Scholarship Fund serves to assist deserving WKU students majoring within the Gordon Ford College of Business, with priority given to those showing an interest in management; the Dr. Dorothy E. Reeves Scholarship Fund serves to assist deserving WKU students in the Doctoral Program of Educational Leadership; and the Lester D. Reeves Scholarship Fund assists deserving WKU students who are full-time members of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Through these funds, Dorothy and Lester’s legacy on the Hill continues in perpetuity.