Family and Community Ties at the Roots of New Lindsey Wilson University Scholarship

Dan and Patricia Antle Endowed Scholarship will support Green County residents to attend Lindsey Wilson.

COLUMBIA, Ky. (11/12/2026) — Dan Antle '71 knows the value of Lindsey Wilson University. That's why he recently created an endowment to support Green County residents to attend the school.

Antle recently started the Dan and Patricia Antle Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship will support Green County residents to attend Lindsey Wilson.

"It's important to give local students a chance to get a quality education, and that's what this scholarship will help provide," said Antle.

Antle, who is the owner of Reed Brothers Insurance Agency, founded the scholarship through a combination of a direct gift to Lindsey Wilson and a gift through the Lake Area Foundation.

Lindsey Wilson has played a big part in Antle's life. He has served as a trustee at the university for nearly a decade. His late mother, Jean McLean, was a 1949 graduate, and they own the distinction of being the only mother-son duo to have received the Distinguished Service Award from the Lindsey Wilson National Alumni Association. Antle's step-father, Lynn McLean, attended Lindsey Wilson thanks to the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill.

Antle's wife, Patti Sparks Antle, taught at Lindsey Wilson prior to retiring from a career in the public school system. His mother-in-law, Mildred Sparks, met her husband, Billy, while they attended Lindsey Wilson.

Antle's brother, Doug, was the first Lindsey Wilson graduate to be admitted to the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy.

"Lindsey Wilson has played an important role in my family, and it is a tremendous asset to the community," said Antle. "The economic effect that Lindsey Wilson has on Columbia-Adair County is very important. We're a stronger community because of Lindsey Wilson."

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

Media Attachments

Lindsey Wilson University trustee Dan Antle ’71 of Columbia presents a check to Lindsey Wilson to help fund the Dan and Patricia Antle Endowed Scholarship, which will help Green County residents to attend Lindsey Wilson. Pictured, from left: Lindsey Wilson Vice President for Development Kevin Thompson, Lake Cumberland Area Development District Community Development Specialist Brenda Wooldridge, Antle and Lake Cumberland Area Development District Director of Finance Kevin Tarter.