CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong continues to fight long after retiring as a four-star Air Force general. The Mingo County resident says it's a campaign, not just a battle, to teach West Virginia students to be leaders.

Foglesong got a boost from the leader of the United States recently that will add ammunition to his effort -- the money came via President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize.

The retired general's current mission is president of the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports and enables students from Appalachia with academic and leadership abilities to pursue higher education.

There are three qualifications to be part of the program, Foglesong said.

"We want academic agility -- we want them to be smart," he said. "Then we look at what they have done in leadership roles in their community or in school. Finally, we look at the financial need. We try to balance those, and there's no shortage of applicants who meet all three criteria."

Funding comes from various corporations and grants, but as for many other nonprofit organizations, last year wasn't a good one financially.

"Because of that, we were looking to reduce our footprint," Foglesong said.

Then he got the phone call.

"I got a call saying they were from the White House, and I thought it was [someone playing] a joke," Foglesong said. "Then I thought it might be someone wanting information on a MIA/POW commission I work on. She said she was on the committee to announce the award winners for the Nobel Prize money, that there would be 10 increments given out, and they would announce it that afternoon.

"She explained the rules of engagement -- I couldn't say anything about it until the president announced it. I still wasn't sure, and then I asked her what her phone number was, and she gave it to me and I recognized it as an exchange from the Old Executive [Office] Building, and I knew it was for real."

The awards were made because of a promise made by Obama when he won the Nobel Peace Prize to give away the $1.4 million to groups involving veterans and education. Groups didn't apply for the money; they were chosen to receive it.

Organizations receiving money were all national entities, such as the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, the United Negro College Fund and the American Indian College Fund -- and Foglesong's foundation. The Appalachian Leadership Education Foundation received $125,000.

"I sent the woman who called an e-mail and asked, 'Why don't you call me every Wednesday?'" Foglesong said.

The money will allow the foundation to award scholarships to more students this year than originally planned. The average number each year has been 15, and Foglesong takes a hands-on approach to the selection process.

"We normally get a large number of applications. I spread those applications out on the floor of my little house in Chatteroy Hollow in Mingo County and narrow it down to about 25 or 30," he said.

A selection committee of business executives, school counselors and others receive those applications, and scores them to narrow the number. Foglesong travels around the state to interview each applicant and their parents, a process that takes about a month. The committee convenes and looks at all of the information.

"We want to be sure we invest wisely, we want no false starts," Foglesong said. "We want the next great generation of leaders in West Virginia."

Sometime in June, winners are announced. Recipients sign a contract to guarantee their involvement in all aspects of the program, beyond just going to school on the organization's nickel.

"They agree to keep good grades, they agree to do 20 hours of community service each semester," Foglesong said. "And they have to attend our meetings."

Those meetings are key to keeping the students on the right track. As the self-proclaimed "grandfather" to the students, Foglesong stresses character and hard work in each encounter.

"And accountability," he said. "They have to be accountable to themselves first and then to us."

Students already in the organization act as mentors to the new scholarship winners, but Foglesong is the chief mentor in leadership skills.

The decorated veteran, born and raised in Williamson, was the second-highest ranking officer in the Air Force, led the Air Force in Europe, was the assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served as president of Mississippi State University.

His latest job leading West Virginia's youth got a bit easier thanks to the Nobel Prize money.

"Many of our kids are from single parents. All have been through things that would have stopped another, less strong kid from success," Foglesong said. "I just try to keep them on track. I want to help them to become leaders for tomorrow."

Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.