College of Charleston

News Chemistry Student Receives New Lense Scholarship April 23, 1999 College of Charleston student Kellie Lee Ballenger (left) is pictured at a luncheon announcing the school’s new Lense Scholarship. Mrs. Carolyn Lense is pictured at right. In the middle are longtime Lense friends Howard and Betty Isermann who established the scholarship. Frederick T. Lense, a scientist, inspirational polio victim, and 1938 graduate of the College of Charleston has been honored by his alma mater, friends and family with a newly established student scholarship. A Charleston native, Mr. Lense died in September, 1998. The first recipient of the Lense Scholarship is College of Charleston chemistry major Kellie Lee Ballenger. A junior and graduate of the Hammond School in Columbia, she was selected for the award by chemistry and biochemistry faculty based on her academic performance. The full-tuition Lense Scholarship will go annually to an outstanding junior or senior chemistry major at the College. The scholarship has been established by longtime family friends Howard and Betty Isermann. Despite being stricken with polio at an early age, Lense completed college then went on to have a very successful career with industry in the field of applied chemical research. He held a number of patents and worked for many years in the upstate with the Texize Chemical Division of Morton Norwich, Inc. He served two terms on the Mauldin, S.C. City Council and four terms on the Mauldin Zoning and Planning Commission. The Lenses had three daughters.