Class of 1950 makes funding history
The class of 1950 made College history at its 50th reunion in August when it announced it had raised $104,378.41 in gifts and pledges to endow the Class of 1950 Terry Cady Memorial Scholarship.
"In the 33 years I’ve worked at the College, I’ve never seen a grass-roots program spring up like this," said trustee and Treasurer Emeritus Glenn Gregg ’55. "The effort came purely from those who wanted to produce a scholarship to remember a friend. Alumni came up with the idea, made the calls and raised the money."
The scholarship honors each member of the class of 1950, pays special tribute to Terry Cady, the class president and commemorates the 50th reunion of the class.
After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Cady enrolled at Lewis & Clark in 1946. He was elected class president, was active in Delta Tau Rho, Blue Key and the Mustangs, and played trumpet in the College band. Cady married fellow student Dorothy Roscoe ’50 and became an executive for U.S. Gypsum. In 1979 while traveling from a sales meeting in Chicago to his home in California to celebrate his 52nd birthday, the DC-10 he was aboard crashed upon take-off.
"His death was a terrible loss to his wife, his four sons and to everyone who knew him," said Mark Hanna ’49.Hanna and his wife, Shirley (Bender) ’50, were close friends of Terry and Dorothy Cady and stayed in touch with Terry’s widow, who later married Bill Lake ’50.
So, when the Hannas started to think about doing something special to mark Shirley’s 50th class reunion, they thought of Terry Cady.
"I approached Dorothy, who approved the idea and made a substantial contribution to start the ball rolling," Hanna said.
Hanna gathered a committee of friends and classmates, who met every month for 10 months. The nucleus grew four-fold, according to Hanna.
"Each committee member made his or her own gift and then contacted 10 to 15 other classmates.
"Bob Godel ’51 made it fun; Mark Hanna made it inspirational," says Neil Farmer ’51. Bonnie Stern, the College’s senior development officer, provided quiet guidance.
Godel wrote a letter to classmates and helped to prepare informational packets for mailing. Farmer, a retired professional fund-raiser, gave his expert advice. Betsy Heath ’52 arranged an art exhibit to benefit the scholarship fund.
"The whole gang pitched in and helped," Hanna said. "We received more than 70 contributions, ranging from $25 to $2,500."
In addition, Bill Lake, who attended Lewis & Clark one year, transferred an existing scholarship in his parents’ name to the Terry Cady fund, bringing the total value of the endowment to more than $100,000.
"After having read the material that was provided," wrote Don Driscoll ’50 in a letter accompanying his check to the scholarship fund, "I felt like Washington Irving’s folklore character Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 20 years and then woke up, returned to his village and was astounded by the changes that had transpired in the interim.
"How could we, or anyone who ever knew Terry from those wonderful, carefree days at Lewis & Clark, not remember him?" he continued.
"He was a person who took his responsibilities seriously but not at the expense of taking himself too seriously."
"This was a good opportunity for me to do something for the school and Terry and to acknowledge some of the benefits I reaped from being a student at Lewis & Clark College," said Bob Graves ’51, Hanna’s former College roommate. I had forgotten what an inspiration the College was to me. That’s why I want to help motivate the alumni."
"Aside from raising money, I experienced pure joy from associating with people I haven’t seen in 50 years," Godel said. "We have a strong feeling for Lewis & Clark. We want it to succeed and want to give new students the opportunity to go there. It’s a wonderful school."
At the 50th reunion, the committee members decided to increase their goal and to continue their successful fund-raising efforts to endow a scholarship for full tuition, room and board.
"It is impressive, encouraging and inspiring to see them working toward their goal," said Donald Balmer, U. G. Dubach Professor Emeritus of Political Science, who knew Cady in grade school and high school. "I hope other classes will think along the same lines."
Committee members include: Donald and Betty Balmer, Rudy Cabell ’50 and Jacki Cabell ’50, Thelma Roos Carpenter ’50, Joan Fowler-Seger ’50, Bob Godel ’51 and Barbara Godel ’51, Bob Graves ’51, Mark Hanna ’49 and Shirley Hanna ’50, Betsy Heath ’52, Bill Lake ’50 and Dorothy Lake ’50, Ned Marshall ’51 and Margaret Marshall ’51, Marie McMillan ’50, Glenn Mickelson ’49 and Florence Mickelson ’51, and Jackie Westberg. Adviser members include Jennifer Cotter, Neil Farmer ’51, Glenn Gregg ’55, Bonnie Stern and Mike Teskey ’85.
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