Kelley Family Welding Trades Scholarship Endowment

Dennis Kelley is a lifelong Linn County resident who spent nearly 40 years working as a welder at ATI (formerly Wah Chang) in Albany. Dennis was one of the rare metal welding experts for Wah Chang and helped lead several welding seminars at LBCC, domestically and internationally. His travels took him to South Korea, China and throughout the US. He taught how to weld Titanium and other reactive materials produced locally in Albany. Dennis not only took classes at LBCC during his apprenticeship in the early 1970’s, he later taught the same classes he attended. Dennis came back to LBCC in 2018 to teach part-time classes after 18 years of retirement.

Dennis is a true craftsman and continues to do metal work projects in his retirement. Learning a metal trade allowed Dennis to enjoy his life, provide for his family and now enjoy retirement. The Kelley Family hopes this scholarship endowment will allow other welding students to do the same.

The endowment is intended to aid and assist welding students who have a desire to better themselves by pursuing a career in a welding-related field.

Student(s) must be enrolled in the Welding and Fabrication Technology or Industrial Pipe Trade programs. Awards may be used for, but not limited to, tuition/fees, books, living expenses and/or special needs.

Recipient(s) must be a Linn or Benton county resident.
Student must be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more) in their 2nd year in the program.
DPP students are not eligible.
Recipient must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Minimum GPA is 3.25.

Students apply Fall term with awards paid Winter term.
A thank you letter addressed to the donor is required and student should attend the annual scholarship reception on April 3, 2025.