Maine Trust establishes a $1.5 million
scholarship fund

Farmers Trust Company and the YSU Foundation are announcing the establishment of the William E. Maine, Jr. Scholarship Fund. The William E. Maine, Jr. Trust was established at Farmers Trust Company in 2017 upon the passing of Mr. Maine.  The YSU Foundation and Farmers Trust Company have partnered to ensure that Mr. Maine’s intentions of easing the financial barriers to higher education for deserving students from the Mahoning Valley were fulfilled.  The total assets in the trust as of January 2026 are approximately $1.5 million.

The trustees of The William E. Maine, Jr. Trust are Donald Bolland, a lifelong friend of William Maine; Attorney Lawrence Richards, William’s lawyer; and Farmers Trust Company.

“This partnership with the YSU Foundation will ensure a streamlined process for prospective scholarship recipients along with efficient administration and timely distribution of scholarship funds,” states Mark Wenick, Chief Wealth Management Officer at Farmers National Bank.

William Maine was born in 1935 in Youngstown. He was a Kiski Academy and Culver Military Academy graduate. William was an engineer with the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and then started his own auto body business, becoming known as the “Dent Man”. William was an avid water and snow skier and won many trophies and medals while skiing at Cypress Gardens, Vail, and Aspen. He was a Mason and a member of the Youngstown Ski Club.

By partnering the Maine Trust with the YSU Foundation, the fund will have the opportunity to continue to grow through the years and be able to award more scholarships at greater values. The YSU Foundation manages funds for other organizations, such as the Hubbard Alumni Foundation, and administers scholarship programs outside of Youngstown State University, as well as scholarships that benefit YSU students.

“The YSU Foundation greatly appreciates the efforts of Larry, Don, and Mark in establishing this impactful scholarship to honor Mr. Maine’s legacy,” said Brian Nord, Chief Development Officer of the YSU Foundation.

The scholarship will be awarded to students in the Mahoning Valley with a preference to those whose parents were Masons and/or students who exhibited a proficiency in the art of waterskiing, as Maine was a professional water skier in his youth.

“When we discussed his estate planning, William made it clear he wanted his assets to be used to provide scholarships to students of the Mahoning Valley,” said Attorney Richards.