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CORVALLIS - A friend of an Oregon State University graduate who died in a wildfire will receive an OSU scholarship honoring his fellow firefighter.

Rob Johnson was one of 14 U.S. Forest Service firefighters trapped and killed on July 6, 1994, while battling a fire near Glenwood Springs, Colo.

Cary Cottrell, a senior in electrical engineering from Glide, Ore., will receive the $500 Rob Johnson Memorial Scholarship this spring, said Donna Vuchinich, OSU development officer.

"I worked with Rob at the Douglas Forest Protective Association in Roseburg," Cottrell said. "People that work there, well, it's like a fraternity and they still get together, so Rob is missed. Everyone misses him; there's kind of a hole there."

Johnson was a 1991 OSU accounting graduate. His parents, Gene and Marie Johnson of Roseburg, founded the scholarship to honor their son and provide aid to other OSU students who have also worked as firefighters.

A 1991 graduate of Glide High School, Cottrell plans to graduate from OSU in June and seek a position as an electrical engineer.

The perpetual Johnson endowment is established with the OSU Foundation and earnings provide support for the memorial scholarship. To contribute, or for scholarship application information, contact Vuchinich at 800-354-7281.