Marion Sutton

A part of Marion Sutton’s heart has always belonged to Coshocton. Although she left her hometown for college, she returned to her Coshocton roots. In 1981, she joined the Board of Directors for her family’s company, Jones Metal Products, which was started by her grandfather in 1923. She served as vice chair from 1993-2000 with oversight for the Jones Zylon Company, a division of Jones Metal Products, and as chairman of the board from 2000 until her retirement in 2019.

Her association with COTC began in the mid-2000s as a member of the Coshocton Campus Campaign Cabinet, which collectively raised more than $5 million to renovate the former Inn at Roscoe Village and establish a permanent home for COTC’s Coshocton campus. She also served on the Coshocton Campus Advisory Board from 2007-2011 before being appointed to the COTC Board of Trustees in 2014.

Because of her association with the college and her understanding of the student population, she established the Jones Metal Products Company Adult Scholarship in celebration of her family business’s 90th anniversary. The scholarship — which is housed at the Coshocton Foundation — provides an annual $2,000 award to a returning adult student from Coshocton County.

Bob Pell, executive director of the Coshocton Foundation, sees this as a growing need. “The Foundation awards more than 100 scholarships each year, most of which are designated for graduating high school seniors. In recent years, more adults are returning to college and many have expressed a need for financial help. We are grateful that Marion recognized this need and took action to help members of our community.”

COTC and the Coshocton Foundation also partner on the Coshocton Promise, a county-wide initiative that offers a tuition guarantee for Coshocton County residents attending COTC with a household income of $60,000 or less. Since the eligibility criteria for the Jones Metal Products Adult Scholarship does not set a household income threshold, it is a perfect complement to the Coshocton Promise.

“I’ve seen how COTC can create life-changing opportunities for local students,” said Sutton. “And I’m excited that this scholarship can help students achieve the educational and career goals they set in their adult lives.”