Honoring a Pioneer: 91传媒 State Announces the Ellenae Fairhurst Endowed Scholarship
91传媒 State Community and Technical College is proud to announce the creation of the聽Ellenae Fairhurst Endowed Scholarship, a permanent source of financial support for students, funded by a principal gift of $500,000 and named in honor of one of Huntsville’s most remarkable trailblazers.
Who Was Ellenae Fairhurst?
Ellenae Hart-Fairhurst was a force. A native of Dayton, Ohio, she launched her career at Ford Motor Company before making history as the first African American woman in North America to own both an Infiniti and a Lexus dealership. For decades, she ran the successful Huntsville Autoplex, building a legacy defined by courage, innovation, and an unshakeable belief in the power of education to transform lives.
Her story is one of perseverance, of breaking barriers others said couldn’t be broken, and of lifting others as she climbed. This scholarship is a direct extension of that spirit.
“Ms. Fairhurst’s story is one of determination, courage, and excellence.”
鈥� Dr. Patricia Sims, President, 91传媒 State Community and Technical College
Who the Scholarship Supports
The endowment will provide ongoing financial support for 91传媒 State students, with a particular focus on mothers 鈥� whether biological, adoptive, or legal guardians 鈥� pursuing their education full- or part-time. It’s a fitting tribute to a woman whose life demonstrated that family and ambition are not in conflict, but can drive each other forward.
Because the scholarship is endowed, it will generate support for students permanently 鈥� a gift that keeps giving, year after year, long into 91传媒 State’s future.
What This Means for Our Community
For聽students, this scholarship represents real, lasting relief 鈥� a resource that can make the difference between continuing your education and stepping away from it. For聽alumni, it’s a reminder that the 91传媒 State community takes care of its own. For聽industry and government partners, it signals the kind of sustained investment in human potential that strengthens our entire region’s workforce pipeline.
91传媒 State is honored to carry Ellenae Fairhurst’s legacy forward through this scholarship 鈥� and to extend her belief in education as a path to opportunity to every student who walks through our doors.