WLP/Wilma Fowler Scholarship
History
Born on September 8, 1933, in Baltimore, Maryland, Wilma Idamae Pumphrey married James Herbert Fowler, Colonel, U.S. Army Retired, in 1953 and together they traveled the world and raised four children: Leslie Fowler Dellas, Julie Fowler Gillespie, Edward Herbert Fowler and James Taylor Fowler.
Wilma was an amazing mother and dedicated military wife, moving her family many times and living in more than 15 cities on three continents over 30 years, including overseas tours to Germany, Turkey and Hawaii. She was the matriarch of the family, especially when her husband was away serving his country, including several tours in Vietnam.
Upon retirement to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1990, Wilma and Jim became avid sailors and members of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Salty Sisters, and the St. Petersburg Power Squadron. Wilma continued her support of military families through family support activities at MacDill Air Force Base and with the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). She was active in the St. Petersburg community as a member of Grace Lutheran Church, P.E.O., VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Advising), and was friends to many through her bridge and mahjong clubs.
Wilma was a member of the USF Alumni Association, where she was proud to earn her undergraduate degree at USF St Petersburg as a lifelong learner in 1985. She joined the USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) and founded a scholarship there, on her 80th birthday, to support military family members and veterans returning to college after their service.
A beloved mother and dear friend to so many, Wilma passed away on September 3, 2016, at the age of 82 at the LifePath Hospice House in Tampa, Florida. She was reunited with her husband, James, in Arlington National Cemetery, where they are interred together in their final resting place.
Scholarship Criteria
This scholarship provides support to full and part-time students at all academic levels, pursuing any major in any college at the St. Petersburg campus. Preference will be given to non-traditional-age female students who are veterans or from a military family.
Rhea F. Law, USF President
The growth and success of Tampa Bay is intrinsically linked with the growth and success of USF. There is so much potential, and the future is very bright.
Your Impact
USF is home to approximately 50,000 students from 146 countries!
USF is a member of the Association of American Universities, the most prestigious association in higher education.
U.S. News & World Report ranks USF as the “best value” among all public universities in Florida (2023).
25% of USF students are first generation. Your support enables them to create a new cycle of education within their families.
USF professors and students were awarded 314 patents over three years.
You can find approximately 400,000 USF graduates worldwide.
U.S. News & World Report ranks USF #45 among public universities (2024).
U.S. News and World Report ranked USF Tampa as a Best College for Veterans (2023)
USF leads the nation as the top producer of faculty Fulbright Scholars! Way to go Bulls!