Dean Hargrove, a Wichita State University graduate acclaimed for his career as a TV producer and filmmaker, has made a donation to the WSU Foundation to create a generous scholarship for students majoring in political science.

Hargrove’s philanthropic gift will provide $8,000 a year, an amount that would cover tuition and fees for a full-time residential student.

A 1960 graduate, Hargrove named the scholarship for his mother, Joan Hargrove. Joan Hargrove was executive assistant in the 1950s to Hugo Wall, then chairman of the WSU political science department and the person for whom the WSU Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs is named.

“I’ve always carried fond memories of WSU with me,” Hargrove said in a phone interview from his home near Los Angeles. “It gave me great opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have had in other places. The university as a whole was very supportive of me.”

After graduation, Hargrove moved to California to attend film school at UCLA, but left after about a year to pursue a writing career in television. A series of freelance jobs led to a position as a staff writer in 1964 for the popular TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

“That opened a lot of doors for me,” says Hargrove, describing a career that took him from Universal to Viacom and eventually Sony International Television. Along the way he wrote and produced such hits as “It Takes a Thief,” “Columbo,” “Matlock” and “Diagnosis: Murder.”

Hargrove won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1974 for “Columbo” and was nominated four other times. These days, Hargrove has returned to his first love, film. In 2015 he made a well-reviewed documentary on tap dancing called “Tap World,” which was picked up by Netflix.

He’s now writing a fictional movie on tap dancing, inspired by some of the stories in “Tap World.”

In honor of his distinguished career, Hargrove was awarded the WSU President’s Medal in 1996.

“We’re so grateful that Dean has chosen to share his success with his alma mater and to honor the memory of his mother by helping WSU students pursue their educational aspirations,” said Elizabeth King, president & CEO of the WSU Foundation. “Dean’s enduring connection to Wichita State is a testimony to the powerful experiences he had as a student here.”

Students wishing to apply for the Joan Hargrove Political Science Scholarship may find an application and other information at www.wichita.edu/hargrove. The application deadline for the 2017-2018 academic year is Jan. 6.