Hubert and Barbara Avent

The Hubert (Herb) and Barbara Avent Scholarship is named for Herb ’69 and Barbara his wife. Herb was born in Oxford, Mississippi and began elementary school in Chicago. Upon graduating from high school in Mississippi, he joined the US Army. Upon discharge, Herb attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale and obtained his BS degree in Marketing.

Herb was a member of the American Marketing Association. After graduation he worked as an Academic Advisor in the College of Business (CoB) and served as director of the COBA’s Encouragement of Black Businessmen and Economist (EBBE) program.

Herb opened the Nubian II Bar and Eatery in 1968 on the north side of Carbondale. Later, he worked as a Lecturer/Planner for the development of SIU College of Medicine and enrolled in SIU’s Master’s in public health program. He believes in giving back to his community. In 1971, he began to work in a community health center, providing primary health care services, located in East St. Louis, Illinois. He became national Director of the community health center’s Urban Health Initiative program in 1980. Herb was voted into the SIU CoB Hall of Fame in 1999 and served as the President of the SIU Black Alumni Group from 1999-2003.

As creators of the Hubert and Barbara A vent Scholarship they have created criteria that matches Herb’s academic career and to some extent his professional career. While marketing and health care are very important to him, it is his vocation that we are most thankful for-his commitment to helping others. He cherishes the concept of education, and realized that some students need help to attain that. This scholarship seemed like an appropriate way to achieve both his professional and personal desires. Herb is very proud that they are helping someone else to climb the educational ladder.