The Sheriff Leroy Russell Memorial Scholarship in Criminal Justice

Leroy Russell was the sheriff of Gaston County from 1982-2004 and was a member of the NC Sheriffs’ Association, serving as president 1990-1991. He was a member of the Gaston County Law Enforcement Association, was a licensed funeral director, a Gaston County Schools employee, a drivers’ license examiner, and a County magistrate. He was a US Air Force veteran. Leroy was a member of First United Methodist Church, where he was on the worship committee, an administrative board member and he served on the funeral committee. Scholarships distributed from this Fund may only be awarded to Gaston County residents and have been enrolled in Gaston College for a minimum of 24 credit hours if a full-time student, or 12 hours if a part-time student, have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.0, and are enrolled in a criminal justice program. Preference will be given to Gaston County Sheriff’s Office Deputies or members of their immediate family.