This scholarship was initiated by the WVU Parkersburg student honorary, Phi Theta Kappa, in 1979. The scholarship is in memory of Elizabeth “Betsy” Adams, former founder and director of the Wood County Association of Mental Health and the Western District Guidance Center. The fund became endowed in 1981 with the assistance of her husband, Edward Adams, who designated the scholarship be made available to students pursuing a career in social work.