Arkansas Tech University has established the Major General William E. Harmon Valor Fund as a means of assisting ATU students and recent graduates who are veterans, military-affiliated personnel and their dependents.
Private donations to the fund through the ATU Foundation will provide resources for living expenses, emergency financial needs, academic-related supplies, graduate school application expenses and professional interview attire to ATU students with military affiliation (service members or dependents) who are currently enrolled at Arkansas Tech or graduated from Arkansas Tech within the last three months.
“The recently dedicated Major General William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services serves hundreds of military-affiliated students each academic year,” said Melissa South, ATU director of development. “The office works hard to ensure each service member or dependent maximizes their federal benefits while at Arkansas Tech. Inevitably, situations arise that place a financial burden on these students. These funds aim to financially support our students when these unique situations arise.”
The namesake of the fund graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1960. A native of Little Rock, Harmon was a member of the U.S. Army ROTC program, active in the Military Honor Society and an ROTC battle group commander during his time as an undergraduate student.
Harmon served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1960-92. He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Infantry upon his graduation from Arkansas Tech. He was detailed to U.S. Army Military Intelligence Branch in 1962 and served in military intelligence for the next 30 years.
The first Arkansas Tech U.S. Army ROTC graduate to attain the rank of General, Harmon was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in June 2009.
He and his wife, Suzanne, returned to Russellville in 1998, and since that time, Harmon’s service to Arkansas Tech has included that of associate vice president for information technology from 1998-2000 and as the William M. Lemley Endowed Chair of Business from 2000-06.
Arkansas Tech bestowed its highest honor upon Harmon when he was inducted into the ATU Hall of Distinction in 1990. He was inducted into the ATU U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Honor as a member of its inaugural class in 2017. The William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services at ATU was dedicated on May 7, 2026.
Those interested in making a gift in support of the Major General William E. Harmon Valor Fund serving eligible military-affiliated personnel and their dependents may do so at www.atualumni.com/valorfund.
Call (479) 857-4235 or send e-mail to msouth@atu.edu for more information.
