Ed Hickey Trust Scholarship for FSU Panama City Students

Ed Hickey Jr. is shown standing at center with Miss Long Beach 1967 Marie Savage, and the lifeguards of Ed’s Beach Service on Panama City Beach. (Photo credited to Bob Hargis)

PANAMA CITY, FL — Ed Hickey, a pioneer in the Panama City Beach business community since the mid-20th century, believed in second chances. That’s why the $250,000 endowment that bears his name will provide opportunities to students in need from the beaches area.

An official check presentation will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 8, in the Holley Academic Center, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Panama City. News media are invited to attend for coverage purposes. Representatives from the Hickey Trust, the FSU Foundation, and the Dean’s Office will be on hand.

The gift from the Edward F. Hickey Jr. Memorial Trust will provide up to $10,000 in scholarships per year to deserving students, according to Jeff DiBenedictis, executor of the trust and a good friend of the late businessman. The endowed fund will be held in perpetuity to generate income for the purpose of the scholarship.

“We developed a very close personal relationship,” recalled DiBenedictis, market president for Cadence Bank, on his first encounter with Hickey nearly 30 years ago. “He was like a father to me; he treated me as a son. … Edward was an advocate for young people in the area who needed support and was a strong believer in second chances.”

Edward Hickey Jr

The Edward F. Hickey Jr. Memorial Scholarship will serve as a lasting tribute to Hickey’s love and support of the Panama City Beach community. The scholarship will be reserved for students from the beaches area (specifically, ZIP codes 32407, 32408, 32411, 32413 and 32417) who need a second chance opportunity for a higher education. Applicants should have a minimum 3.0 GPA. For financial aid information, visit PC.FSU.edu/finances.