In memory of the late Gettysburg College Trustee Emeritus Troy Datcher ’90, The Clorox Company Foundation created the T. Troy Datcher Endowed Scholarship to honor his devotion to education and community service and the values of social equity and justice. Datcher, a political science major at Gettysburg, dedicated more than 20 years of service to The Clorox Company, serving in several leadership roles, including chief customer officer and general manager of the Kingsford brand.
“Troy was equally passionate about his community as he was his career,” said Shanique Bonelli-Moore, chief diversity and social impact officer of The Clorox Company. “This scholarship will be a lasting tribute to Troy that reflects his passion for education and community service, and directly supports students who exemplify the virtues we remember and celebrate about him.”
The T. Troy Datcher Endowed Scholarship reflects The Clorox Company’s purpose to champion people to be well and thrive every single day. Totaling $272,500, the scholarship embodies the Foundation’s work to foster healthy and inclusive communities, including youth development and education programs that increase equity of opportunity, access, and outcomes to create lasting social impact.
The preferential scholarship will be awarded to academically qualified students from Alabama or California who demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to those majoring in political science or with an interest in social equity and justice.
“Troy was a positive force in everything he did, and this quality was always evident in his interactions with Gettysburg students and fellow alumni,” said Tres Mullis, vice president for college advancement at Gettysburg College. “He was an encourager, urging students to believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference. The T. Troy Datcher Endowed Scholarship is a testament to the many lives Troy impacted. The scholarship is the perfect legacy to Troy—it will help to transform the lives of Gettysburg students well into the future.”
Since its founding in 1832, Gettysburg College has prepared students to lead lives of consequence—and Datcher did precisely that. As a student, he was one of the first African American student body senators and later became vice president. He also led the Black Student Union as president. In 2018, he told GETTYSBURG College Magazine that the lessons he learned at Gettysburg, especially the leadership skills he developed, were the keys to his personal and professional success.
After graduating, Datcher quickly became a leader in the consumer good industry, applying the knowledge and enduring skills he gained at Gettysburg to his career. In addition to his 20-plus years at Clorox, he held positions at Proctor & Gamble, Wood Brothers and JTG Daugherty Racing, The Parent Company, and The Gold Flora Company. His illustrious career led to several professional achievements, including being named a two-time EBONY magazine Power 100 list honoree and one of the Top 100 Most Influential Black Leaders in Corporate America for four consecutive years by Savoy Magazine.
In 2015, Datcher was elected to the College’s Board of Trustees and began serving as secretary in June 2023. During his service to the Board of Trustees, he chaired the Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee with vision, wisdom, and deep personal conviction. He contributed to several Board committees that have elevated the work of Gettysburg College, including its College Advancement, Enrollment and Educational Services, and Finance and Administration divisions.
As a champion of Gettysburg’s liberal arts and sciences education, Datcher also gave his time and expertise to Gettysburg students. It was his way of expressing gratitude for all that Gettysburg had given him. His commitment to social equity and justice will be carried forward by generations to come, and through this scholarship, his legacy will endure.
“A few years back, I had the opportunity to ask Troy what advice he would give to today’s Gettysburg College students,” reflected Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano. “He responded, ‘Take chances. Don’t look back. Reinvent the box.’ May we all honor Troy’s inspiring legacy by heeding his timeless advice as fellow Gettysburgians and by living the values he embodied of activism, hard work, creativity, generosity, and kindness.”
If you would like to contribute to the T. Troy Datcher Endowed Scholarship, make a gift today.