Kent State Tuscarawas honors Alfred and Maryann Fearon

Kent State University at Tuscarawas recently honored Alfred and Maryann Fearon with the Toast to Education Award, recognizing their longtime dedication to education, student success and the Tuscarawas County community.

The award honors individuals whose leadership, generosity and service reflect Kent State Tuscarawas’ mission of access, opportunity and community engagement. The Fearons were selected for their commitment to education and their philanthropic support throughout the community.

Alfred Fearon is a lifelong resident of the Tuscarawas Valley and a 1962 graduate of Strasburg High School. He was among the first students to attend Kent State Tuscarawas when classes were held at New Philadelphia High School before transferring to Kent State’s main campus. He is an Army veteran who was honorably discharged after completing counterinsurgency training with the 6th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces.

Maryann Fearon is a 1963 graduate of Grove City High School in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from the University of Arizona in 1967. Before joining her husband in business, she taught in Stark and Tuscarawas counties and later founded Computer Programming Education, serving students in both counties.

Married since 1968, the Fearons are former owners of OIC International Inc., an import-export company headquartered in Bolivar with additional operations in Dallas and Wuxi, China. The company operated for 56 years. Though retired, the Fearons remain active supporters of educational, environmental and community-based initiatives throughout the region.

Through the Alfred and Maryann Fearon Business Scholarship Fund, they continue to support Kent State Tuscarawas students. They also sponsor the Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas and support local trails, green space projects and charitable organizations.

The award was presented during the annual Toast to Education Gala at Kent State Tuscarawas. The event celebrates education while raising support for student scholarships, student opportunities and youth educational experiences.

The next Toast to Education Gala is planned for April 3, 2027.

For more information about the gala or opportunities to support Kent State Tuscarawas, contact Chad Conrad at cconra1@kent.edu or 330-308-7445.