The IAA Foundation will award more scholarships and research grants, thanks to the newly established Harris-Thomas endowment. As part of a planned farm gift from Jacqueline Thomas, the $1.1 million fund supports students with an interest in advancing agriculture. Born in rural Saline County in 1925, Mrs. Thomas was raised on the family farm, attended Southern Illinois University, and became a home economics teacher. In 1965, she met and married Frank Thomas. For thirty-one years, Mrs. Thomas served as the Macoupin County Home Extension Home Advisor while her husband managed Saline, Lake and then Madison County Farm Bureaus for nearly thirty years. Mr. Thomas, a decorated WWII veteran, passed in August of 2004 and Mrs. Thomas passed in January of 2018. In honor of their shared passion for agriculture and education, Mrs. Thomas designated assets of her estate, including farmland and homes, to be used to create the endowment. In its first application season, the Harris-Thomas Endowment will offer five $2,000 scholarships for undergraduate students.