Harry H. Harkins, Jr. established two separate endowments benefitting the Webster County community. The Cutlip-Harkins Endowment for Webster County, a discretionary fund, will support the grant program for emerging needs and projects with the county. The Cutlip-Harkins Scholarship benefits matriculating senior attending a community or baccalaureate institution. Harkins made these gifts in honor of his grandparents, J.D. and Ada Cutlip, and his parents Harry H. and Rosalene “Bunny” Cutlip Harkins. J.D. and Ada were lifelong residents of Webster County and established Cutlip’s Department Store. For decades, this business and building was the anchor of downtown Webster Springs. Mr. Cutlip’s son-in-law, Harry Harkins, was a pioneer in the cable television industry. Started as a hobby in order to get television signals in an isolated area, Harry built and developed cable systems in Webster County, Belington and New Martinsville, West Virginia, Marietta, Ohio and Gainesville, Florida. He was named a member of the Cable TV Pioneer Class of 1969, with 20 years of direct involvement in the cable industry and making a meaningful contribution in building the industry.
