Archive for August 2005

08/31/05 — Former K-State extension specialist makes gifts to biology and human nutrition

Mary P. Clarke Barkley, Fort Worth, Texas, has made a commitment of $100,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation to establish the Dr. T.M. (Ted) Barkley Botany Excellence Fund in memory of her late husband, an internationally known botanist and former K-State professor, and to establish the Dr. Mary Clarke Barkley Nutrition Education Excellence Fund.

K-State’s Division of Biology will use the Dr. Ted Barkley fund to promote professional travel experiences for students, establish a distinguished lecture series in Barkley’s name and enhance K-State’s botany-related library collections. The Dr. Mary Clarke Barkley fund will be utilized by the Department of Human Nutrition in the College of Human Ecology to further nutrition education for older adults.

During his 37-year career at K-State as a professor, he was curator of the herbarium at K-State, administrator of Konza Prairie on two occasions and associate director of the Division of Biology. Barkley earned a bachelor’s degree in botany from Kansas State University in 1955; a master’s in botany at Oregon State University, Corvallis, in 1957; and a doctorate in botany at Columbia University, New York, N.Y., in 1960. Mary P. Clarke Barkley is a retired K-State extension specialist in human nutrition. She earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, 1950; a master’s degree in foods and nutrition at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, 1970; and a doctorate in foods and nutrition at K-State in 1973.

Mary P. Clarke Barkley is a member of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“Ted and I both love Kansas, K-State, our friends and our careers there,” Barkley said. “We and our families enjoyed many happy years in Manhattan and we wanted to do something for K-State to honor the institution and to be of lasting value for students and the people of Kansas.”

“Ted Barkley committed his career to botanical research and education, and was a distinguished member of our faculty,” said Brian Spooner, director of the Division of Biology. “This gift will allow the Division of Biology to continue his contributions by bringing major plant biology investigators to campus for research presentations, by providing travel opportunities for student presentations, and by supporting the continued botanical collections work of the KSU Herbarium.”

“Dr. Mary Clarke Barkley has had a long-term interest in nutrition for the elderly and even in her retirement continues to be active in publications in this area,” said Denis Medeiros, head of the Department of Human Nutrition. “The department has been able to recruit faculty who have an interest in nutrition education in the elderly and her gift gives us a solid foundation on which to continue to build this emerging area of excellence in the Department of Human Nutrition. Dr. Clarke has been a long-time supporter of the department, particularly human nutrition extension, and was the interim head during a time when the department needed her most. We appreciate her gift to help others.”

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08/26/05 — KSU alumna plans gift for arts and sciences scholarship

Joan Aldous, South Bend, Ind., has made a commitment of $75,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation to establish the Joan Aldous Scholarship Fund.

The recipient of this scholarship will be a student who is enrolled in any curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University.

Aldous is a Manhattan native and a 1948 graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She earned a master’s degree in sociology at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1949 and a doctorate in sociology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1963. Aldous is currently the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend.

Aldous is a member of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“I hope that my contribution and those of others will encourage young people to enroll at Kansas State, and to continue their learning there,” Aldous said. “The opportunity to broaden your knowledge and to find out in greater detail about ideas that you learn about in the classes you take may not seem of great importance at the time. However as you grow older, these ideas as you remember them will help you make sense of some event in your life or that of the lives of people around you. You will also have the background to question given ideas and policies. This questioning is basic to the kind of democratic society we are working to continue. Consequently I feel that my contribution will be going to a good purpose.”

“The Joan Aldous Scholarship Fund will provide students in the College of Arts and Sciences with much needed financial support as well as recognition for their academic achievements,” Dean Stephen White said. “We are deeply appreciative of Dr. Aldous’ very generous gift to enhance our students’ undergraduate experience at K-State.”

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08/25/05 — Alumni and Friends of K-State Contribute $67.8 million to the KSU Foundation

Alumni and friends of Kansas State University contributed a total of $67.8 million to the KSU Foundation during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005. The contributions represent the third largest total in the foundation’s 61-year history. (There were 12176 contributions from Riley County totaling $2,698,711.88.)

According to Lee Borck, Larned, Kan., chairman of the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees, $41.8 million was received in cash, and $26 million was committed in pledges and deferred gifts. “It is a privilege to extend our gratitude to the 42,000 donors who made this success possible,” Borck said. “K-State alumni and friends are incredibly generous, and K-State would not be where it is today without that support.”

In fiscal year 2005, gifts to the foundation established 108 new scholarships and 10 faculty chairs. There were 11 gifts and pledges of $1 million or more. Fiscal year 2005 also brought a more favorable investment climate, and the return on investment was just under 14 percent.

“K-State is truly honored to have alumni and friends whose loyalty and generosity are unmatched,” said Jon Wefald, president of Kansas State University. “Less than one-third of the university’s operating budget now comes from the state. The remainder of the operating budget comes from three sources: tuition, grants and contracts, and private philanthropic support given through the KSU Foundation. The collaborative efforts of the donors, the university staff and the foundation staff are providing a margin of excellence at K-State.”

Kansas county gift totals for KSU Foundation fiscal year 2005

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08/19/05 — Wichita couple establishes K-State engineering faculty award

Mark and Mary Hutton, Wichita, Kan., have made a $25,000 commitment to the Kansas State University Foundation to establish the Eugene Thorson Faculty Award.

The award will honor Eugene Thorson, professor emeritus, founder of the construction science and management program and past department head on the K-State campus. The award will recognize outstanding faculty in the Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science in the College of Engineering at Kansas State University. Officers from K-State’s student chapter of Associated General Contractors will select the faculty recipient on an annual basis.

Mark Hutton graduated from Kansas State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in construction science. He is the owner and president of Hutton Construction Corporation, Wichita. Founded in 1992, Hutton Construction has completed a broad variety of commercial projects for medical, institutional, recreational, retail, office, manufacturing, educational and religious use.

The Huttons are members of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“Mary and I wanted to recognize the hard work and sacrifices of the architectural engineering and construction science faculty that began with Professor Thorson,” Mark Hutton said. “A superior program starts with superior teachers and it is our hope that this gift will inspire others to join us in helping this program retain the faculty that is responsible for its success.”

“We are sincerely grateful for Mark and Mary’s generous support of the Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science,” said David Fritchen, head of the department. “This commitment truly reflects the value that the Huttons place on a quality education. It appropriately honors Professor Thorson for his vision, and the positive and lasting impact he made as an engineering and construction educator at K-State.”

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08/19/05 — Blue Rapids, Kan., siblings bequeath $1.736 million to KSU for scholarship and chair

The estates of Lillian J. and Edwin G. Brychta, Blue Rapids, have made a gift of $1.736 million to the Kansas State University Foundation to establish the Edwin G. and Lillian J. Brychta Endowed Scholarship and the Edwin G. and Lillian J. Brychta Chair for the Division of Biology.

The purpose of these funds is to perpetuate the memories of Lillian Josephine Brychta and Edwin George Brychta, who were sister and brother. The recipient of the scholarship will be a student properly enrolled in any curriculum at Kansas State University. The recipient of the faculty chair shall be a faculty member in the Division of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. This chair will be designated as a Faculty of Distinction chair as part of a program established by the Kansas Legislature in 2000 to encourage gifts by private donors to enhance the ability of state educational institutions to attract and retain faculty of distinction. The state acts as a partner, providing supplemental funding to the income earnings of each qualifying gift.

Lillian and Edwin Brychta were natives of Irving, Kan. Both graduated from Kansas State University in 1931. Lillian Brychta earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics and Edwin Brychta had a bachelor’s degree in education. She taught at schools in Marshall County, Kan., Grimes District 43 and Banner District in Washington County, Kan., Webster ( Kan.) High School, Oak Creek ( Colo.) High School, Kodiak ( Alaska) High School and Liberty ( Neb.) Elementary School. Lillian died in 1992. While in college, Edwin Brychta was a member of the choir. He earned a master’s degree in industrial education at Pittsburg ( Kan.) State University in 1936, and taught woodworking, drafting, welding and science at Blue Rapids High School from 1947 to 1974. Brychta also taught drivers education at Blue Rapids High School and at Marysville ( Kan.) High School. He died in October 2003.

“This donation represents one of our most significant gifts in one of our areas of greatest need,” said Pat Bosco, associate vice president for institutional advancement and dean of student life. “The Brychtas’ generous spirit will impact generations of future K-Staters who will, in turn, make contributions while at K-State and then later as they live their lives.”

“This gift will impact the contributions of the Division of Biology well into the future,” said Brian Spooner, director of the Division of Biology. “The Brychtas will be forever present in named professorships that will allow retention of distinguished biology faculty members whose teaching, research and service achievements will benefit K-State students, Kansans and the nation.”

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08/12/05 — Miller endows scholarship fund for veterinary medicine students

Lyle Devon Miller, DVM, Libertyville, Ill., has made a gift of $27,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation to endow the Miller Pathology Scholarship.

The purpose of the scholarship is to reward third-year veterinary students who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in pathology and who participate in college and university activities.

Dr. Miller received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1961 and DVM in 1963, both from Kansas State University. While at K-State, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and student government. Dr. Miller also received his master’s in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1971, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For 10 years, Dr. Miller served as veterinary medical officer for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, before joining the faculty at Iowa State University, Ames, as a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Miller is a member of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“There were very few scholarships or awards for veterinary students in the 1960s,” Miller said. “When I joined the faculty at Iowa State, I was amazed at the number of awards available for students there, thanks largely to Dr. Frank Ramsey. As an expression of the gratitude I felt for KSU for the education and opportunities that came my way, I decided to initiate a scholarship supported by a direct contribution in 1983. Recently, it was possible and a great pleasure to restructure it as an endowment.”

“Dr. Miller’s support for veterinary student excellence in pathology has been a great encouragement to the students, our faculty and the entire College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “His scholarship will help students recognize their abilities and talents in this extremely important part of veterinary and comparative medicine. Many of them will likely become pathologists themselves. We are fortunate to have such an outstanding role model as an alumnus and friend of the college.”

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08/09/05 — Kansas State University continues to lead Big 12 in percentage of alumni giving

It’s another year at the top of the Big 12 Conference in terms of fundraising statistics for Kansas State University. Wildcat alumni continue to be among the most supportive and generous college alumni in the nation, according to a report just issued by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE).

The CAE 2004 Voluntary Support of Education report placed K-State at No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 2 in the nation among similar colleges and universities. During the last reporting year, K-State’s 30.02 percent response rate was six percentage points better than the second and third place Big 12 universities. The rankings compare alumni donors with solicited alumni.

K-State has ranked among the top three in the Big 12 and Big 8 conferences for nearly two decades and has held a position in the top 10 nationally during that time.

“K-State enjoys an envied tradition of alumni participation,” said Lyle Pishny, chairman of the KSU Foundation Executive Committee. “Positive experiences during the undergraduate years, extending into professional careers, create an atmosphere that helps sustain broad and generous support.”

Pishny cited Telefund as one of the keys to K-State’s alumni participation totals. Telefund is the world’s largest all-volunteer telephone campaign for higher education, annually including more than 22,000 donors.

During the 2004 report year, K-State’s 30.02 percent participation was based on 33,143 donors from among the 110,380 solicited alumni. In the Big 12, the University of Oklahoma ranked second with 24 percent (24,381 and 101,587) and the University of Kansas was third at 23.88 percent (37,785 alumni donors and 158,205 alumni solicited). The Big 12 average is 17.92 percent. K-State’s alumni participation national ranking among public research/doctoral colleges and universities trailed only the College of William and Mary with 30.30 percent.

Kansas State University alumni and friends contributed $41.8 million to the KSU Foundation in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005. Donors committed an additional $26 million through pledges, bequests and other planned giving vehicles, bringing the total gift activity to $67.8 million.

Alumni participation at all Big 12 universities

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08/05/05 — Osage City woman bestows scholarship for K-State College of Agriculture

The late Ethelyn Oser, Osage City, has made a gift of $238,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation to establish the A.N. and Ethelyn Oser Scholarship.

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University.

Ethelyn Oser was born April 2, 1906, in Burlingame, Kan., the daughter of Samuel F. and Etta B. Davis Mills. She graduated from Burlingame High School and worked as a homemaker. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, the Sunshine Club, Senior Citizens Center and a 65-year member of the Home Demonstration Unit, all in Osage City. She died in 2003. A.N. Oser was a farmer southwest of Osage City. He died in 1990.

“This gift represents A.N. and Ethelyn’s value of education,” said Fred Cholick, dean of the College of Agriculture. “We greatly appreciate the Osers’ gift, particularly because they were not graduates of Kansas State University. This type of gift creates maximum flexibility for all deserving students to have an opportunity to receive financial support. Our role in the College of Agriculture is to develop the next agriculture practitioners and agriculture scientists. We will be able to support our gifted students in their pursuit for knowledge and a college degree.”

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08/05/05 — Washington state couple establishes excellence fund in agronomy

Dr. Larry Schrader and Dr. Elfriede Massier, Wenatchee, Wash., have made a gift of $100,000 to establish the Schrader/Massier Graduate Excellence Fund in Agronomy.

The purpose of this award is to provide financial assistance to graduate students in the Department of Agronomy in the area of crop production and crop physiology.

Larry Schrader graduated from Kansas State University in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy. While a student, Schrader was a member of FarmHouse fraternity, Blue Key, Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Zeta, Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, collegiate dairy and crops judging teams, and men’s glee club. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1967. Schrader was a professor in agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1969-84. From 1980-81, he was head of the USDA Competitive Research Grants Office in Washington, D.C., and served as head of agronomy at the University of Illinois from 1984-89 before becoming dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics at Washington State University in 1989. He is currently a research professor at Washington State University in plant physiology/horticulture. Elfriede Massier is a graduate of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, in sociology. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a gerontologist who has held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Illinois and Washington State University.

“We are both grateful for the excellent educations we received and the many opportunities we have enjoyed,” Schrader said. “We decided to give something back to our alma maters to promote excellence, and trust that this fund will help recruit excellent graduate students in agronomy.”

“Gifts such as this are extremely important to our department,” said Dave Mengel, head of the Department of Agronomy. “With the cost of education rising rapidly, scholarships such as the Schrader/Massier will help us attract some of the best and brightest graduate students to K-State. Hopefully some of these students will stay in Kansas to help further the development of our agricultural economy.”

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08/05/05 — Pennsylvania man honors parents with gift for KSU soil science

Harold L. Myers, Harrisburg, Penn., has made a commitment of $200,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation to establish the Harold E. and Louise LaFleur Myers Excellence Fund for Soil Science.

The purpose of this endowment is to perpetuate the memory of Myers’ parents, Harold E. and Louise LaFleur Myers, and to provide financial assistance to the Department of Agronomy in the College of Agriculture for the advancement of teaching, research and outreach in the field of soil science.

Harold E. Myers was a native of Netawaka, Kan. He graduated from Kansas State College in 1928 with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy. While in college, he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, Alpha Zeta, dairy and crops judging teams, Phi Kappa Phi and was editor of Kansas Ag Student and the ag fair guide book. Myers earned a master’s degree in soil microbiology from the University of Illinois, Champaign, and returned to K-State to join the faculty. Later he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

For two years during World War II, he served the U.S. Department of State as an agricultural adviser in the Middle East. He headed the KSU agronomy department from 1946 to 1952 and became an assistant dean of agriculture until 1956. That year he was appointed dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona where he served until 1973. He retired in 1978. During his career, he was president of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy, and published many research papers and articles. He died in 1992. Louise LaFleur earned a master’s degree in clothing and textiles from K-State in 1931. She was also an alumna of the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, in 1927. She died in 2002.

Their son, Harold, earned a bachelor’s degree in technical journalism at K-State in 1954. While in college he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta and editor of the Collegian. He is a member of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“Although my mother died without a will, it is obvious from my father’s notes that he wished both to remember the university that made possible his successful career in agricultural research, conservation and education, and to honor my mother who supported and assisted his various endeavors,” their son said.

“The department really appreciates both the contributions Dr. Myers made as a faculty member and department head, and the contributions that this gift will make in the future,” said David Mengel, head of the Department of Agronomy. “Flexible gifts such as this will allow us to strengthen our overall soil science program in the future.”

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