Archive for May 2006

05/31/06 — Barretts pledge $800,000 to K-State geology department

William J. “Bill” and Louise K. Barrett, Englewood, Colo., have made a commitment of $800,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the William J. and Louise K. Barrett Graduate Student Fellowships in Geology.

The recipients of these fellowships will be graduate students in the Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences at K-State.

Bill and Louise Barrett are both natives of Topeka, Kan. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in 1956 and a master’s degree in 1958, both in geology, at Kansas State University. He currently serves on the geology department’s alumni advisory council. Louise (Kuhn) Barrett also attended K-State.

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

“Our K-State education allowed Louise and me to achieve success in business and successfully raise and educate our seven children, two of whom went to K-State, and help educate our sixteen grandchildren,” Bill Barrett said. “Louise and I simply want to help others in need to obtain a similar opportunity to obtain a KSU education.”

“The Department of Geology is so very grateful to the Barrett family for their generosity and dedication to help the department to fulfill its mission and achieve its vision for the future,” said Mary Hubbard, geology department head. “Graduate fellowships from this gift will allow us to expand the number of graduate students to whom we can offer assistance. Educating future geoscientists is our top priority and we thank the Barrett family for their leadership in this effort.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/25/06 — KSU Foundation names Cain to staff

Darci Cain, Manhattan, Kan., has been appointed to the staff at the Kansas State University Foundation.

Cain joins the foundation as a gift planning officer. She was previously employed as vice president and trust officer with Commerce Bank in Manhattan. Prior to that, Cain was a trust officer and investment broker at Central National Bank in Herington, Kan.

Cain earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration/economics-management and office administration-executive management at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kan., both in 1998. She is a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) and is licensed in Series 7, Series 66, life, health and accident insurance.

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/23/06 — Former KSU music professor bequeaths $500,000 to KSU art museum expansion

A $500,000 bequest from the estate of Marion H. Pelton, Manhattan, has been made to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign for the Beyond the Arch Campaign for the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University.

Beyond the Arch is a museum expansion project that will add 17,000 square feet to the museum’s existing 26,000 square feet. Half of the new space will be for public use, and the rest will be for collection storage and work space. Construction began Nov. 1, and is expected to be completed for a fall 2007 opening. Beyond the Arch is part of the universitywide Changing Lives Campaign.

Pelton was born in Reedsburg, Wis., in 1903. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Wisconsin in 1927 and a master’s degree in history from Kansas State College in 1932. Pelton also earned a master’s degree in organ in 1956 at Columbia University, New York City. She was an associate professor of music at K-State from 1928 to 1972. She was a member of Mu Epsilon Phi (an international music fraternity), the American Association of University Women and the Photographic Society of America. Pelton was also a member of Presidents Club, a leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State. She died in 2001.

“Miss Pelton was an amateur painter and one of her paintings hung over the piano in her home,” said Mary Ellen Sutton, friend and professor of music at K-State. “She knew the art professor who started K-State’s art collection and hoped that one day, K-State would have an art museum. She could hardly wait for me to take her to visit the Beach after it opened. I know she would be very proud that her contribution from her estate to the Beach museum will bear her name on one of the rooms in the new addition.”

“Marion Pelton was a regular visitor to the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art and her bequest was a significant early contribution to the Beyond the Arch campaign,” said Lorne Render, director of the museum. “We are most grateful for this support and are pleased to name one of the new temporary exhibition galleries the Marion Pelton Gallery.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/19/06 — Austin couple makes $25,000 gift for scholarship

Brent and Bonnie Heidebrecht, Austin, Texas, have made a $25,000 commitment to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Brent and Bonnie Heidebrecht Engineering Scholarship.

The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to out-of-state undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Kansas State University.

Originally from McPherson, Kan., Brent Heidebrecht earned his bachelor’s degree from K-State in nuclear engineering in 1979. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. Heidebrecht is a principle at Financo Inc., a financial analysis and consulting firm in Austin. Bonnie Heidebrecht, also from McPherson, earned her bachelor’s degree in family economics from K-State in 1979.

“Bonnie and I are very excited with what is going on at K-State,” said Brent Heidebrecht. “In fact, we have a daughter who will be starting there in the fall. We are 100 percent behind K-State’s goal of becoming one of the top land-grant institutions in the country, and this scholarship gift is an example of our commitment.”

“The Heidebrecht scholarship endowment will not only greatly benefit future generations of mechanical and nuclear engineering students, but it will also impact the overall quality of a K-State engineering education by enabling us to attract and retain the very best young men and women to this program,” said Terry King, dean of the College of Engineering. “We so appreciate the generosity and forward thinking of Brent and Bonnie.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/19/06 — Klinglers establish cancer fund in memory of son

Eugene and Sue Klingler, Manhattan, Kan., have made a gift of $17,383 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Bert Klingler Cancer Research Fund.

The purpose of this fund is to perpetuate the memory of Bert Klingler, the eldest son of Eugene and Sue Klinger, who died of cancer at the age of 4, and to provide financial assistance to the Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University.

Eugene Klingler is retired from Surgical Associates PA, Manhattan. The Klinglers are members of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“Since medical school and nurse’s training, we have been involved in the fight to conquer cancer,” Eugene Klingler said. “The approach that the Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research is taking is vitally important in trying to understand what makes a cancer grow. With the help of the bright young undergraduate students, the respected scientists at the cancer center are finding answers to the ‘whys’ of cancer. We are pleased to support this effort in memory of our son Bert.”

“Dr. Klingler has made many important contributions to Manhattan as a surgeon and elected official, and he and Sue have been good friends in our fight against cancer,” said Rob Denell, director of the Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research. “We deeply appreciate this additional support.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/19/06 — Peterson establishes physics lecture series at K-State

Chester Peterson Jr., Lindsborg, Kan., has recently made a commitment to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Peterson Public Lecture Series in Physics.

The fund will be used for appropriate expenses associated with publicizing and presenting an annual public lecture series on a continuing basis concerning cosmology or quantum mechanics. The lectures will be held on the main campus of Kansas State University, with an alternate lecture site once every three years at the University of Kansas.

Each university’s physics department and the KSU Center for the Understanding of Origins will help select speakers and facilitate the lecture series. The KSU physics department is in the College of Arts and Sciences.

A Kansas native, Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and a master’s degree in quantitative genetics from K-State. While in college he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Gamma Sigma Delta honor societies, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi professional fraternity, the dairy cattle judging team winning the international contest, and was a senior leader, editor of the award-winning Ag Student magazine and a student government representative.

Peterson is a member of the Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State. A career writer-photographer-editor, he’s had an estimated four million words published, including ten books.

“Cosmology and quantum mechanics are intriguing, exciting fields that are of interest to an increasing number of people, both laymen and in the scientific community,” Peterson commented. “My hope is that these remarkable lectures will, in addition to informing us all, also serve as a catalyst to interest potential students in the fascinating world of modern physics.”

“Mr. Peterson’s generous gift provides our department and the Center for the Understanding of Origins with an opportunity to increase our efforts to inform the public about important scientific issues and discoveries,” said Dean Zollman, head of the K-State physics department. “Because of this lecture series we will be able to bring outstanding cosmologists and quantum scientists to campus and provide all interested people on the campus, in the community and across Kansas with the opportunity to interact with them.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/17/06 — Riley County K-Staters push Telefund 2006 to record $1.41 million

Kansas State University alumni and friends from Riley County helped the world’s largest all-volunteer telephone campaign for higher education raise $1.41 million, breaking the pledge record set in 2003.

During January and February, 1,350 student callers received 17,493 pledges worth $1,410,560 to provide scholarships and educational benefits in the nine academic colleges. The old pledge mark was $1.403 million. Corporate matching gifts will add about $250,000 to Telefund receipts.

The all-volunteer format of K-State’s Telefund is unique among major university telephone campaigns. The combination of enthusiastic students, dedicated alumni and exceptional business support allows Telefund to thrive. The pledge total first topped $1 million in 1998. Since 1980, Telefund has received 449,725 pledges worth $21.19 million.

Dubbed “CSI: K-State,” Telefund 2006 received 1012 pledges worth $ 85,373 from Riley County. Telefund’s 23 calling sessions generated pledges from all 105 Kansas counties, all 50 states plus Canada and Puerto Rico. In Kansas, the totals were 9,015 pledges worth $650,677. “CSI,” in the case of Telefund, means “Call Someone Important.”

K-State ranks first in the Big 12 conference and second nationally among similar colleges and universities based on percentage of alumni supporting their alma mater. Telefund is one of the keys, generating thousands of gifts annually and helping students — tomorrow’s donors — gain a better understanding of the importance of alumni support.

Most colleges and universities rely on paid callers and automated calling systems to drive their year-around telephone campaigns. In a high-tech environment, Telefund seems antiquated, yet remains one of the nation’s leading telephone campaigns based on dollars pledged, donors involved, student participation, pledge fulfillment and efficiency.

The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

Telefund 2006 County Totals

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05/15/06 — Houston couple makes $540,000 gift for scholarships

Gary and Peggy Edwards, Houston, have made a gift of $540,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign. The gift included a $420,000 contribution to the Edwards Engineering Dean’s Scholarship and $100,000 to establish a new scholarship, the Edwards English Scholars program. ConocoPhillips, Gary Edwards’ former employer, will donate an additional $20,000 in matching funds.

Established in 2001, the purpose of the Edwards Engineering Dean’s Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the College of Engineering. Students are selected on the basis of exceptional accomplishments in their engineering curriculum. The purpose of the Edwards English Scholars program is to provide financial assistance to graduate students enrolled in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University

Gary Edwards received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from K-State in 1963. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Phi, Chi Epsilon Honor Society, Steel Ring, and the Wildcat baseball team. Since graduation, he has received the Alumni Fellow Award and was inducted into the KSU Engineering Hall of Fame. Edwards retired as senior executive vice president for ConocoPhillips in 2001, after 38 years with the company. Peggy Edwards received her bachelor’s degree in English from Kansas State University in 1963. She participated in the English Honors Program and was a member of Phi Kappa Phi. The Edwards are members of the President’s Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“Peggy and I have been extremely blessed since graduating from Kansas State,” Gary Edwards said. “The education we received at KSU helped shape the foundation of our lives. We are pleased that we are now in a position to provide the opportunity for an excellent education to outstanding young people through these scholarships.”

“This level of scholarship support from the Edwards is a confirmation of our efforts to provide the best engineering education possible,” said Terry King, dean of the College of Engineering. “ Gary and Peggy’s tremendous gift will not only benefit the students who receive it, but will benefit society as a whole as those young men and women move out into their career paths.”

“Gary and Peggy Edwards’ endowment will provide us with a very important opportunity to recruit, retain and support outstanding graduate students in the Department of English,” said Stephen White, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Their generous gift is greatly appreciated.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/11/06— Williamses establish men’s basketball scholarship at K-State

Kip and Dee Williams, Manhattan, Kan., have made a gift of $50,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign through the Ernie Barrett Athletic Endowment Society to establish the Kip and Dee Williams Men’s Basketball Scholarship.

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in any curriculum and participating in varsity men’s basketball at Kansas State University.

Kip Williams graduated from Kansas State University in 1952 with a degree in journalism and mass communications. While in college he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and lettered in tennis. He held various sales and management positions for IMC Fertilizer Group Inc., Chicago, and retired as senior vice president of marketing in 1990. Dee Williams attended K-State for three years.

The Williamses are members of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State. Kip Williams has served as a member of the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

“Dee and I are pleased to participate in the endowment program for K-State student athletes,” Kip Williams said. “Rising costs of college athletics will make endowment programs of this type the wave of the future.”

“Kip and Dee Williams are great supporters of Kansas State University and K-State Athletics,” said Tim Weiser, K-State athletic director. “We are excited to welcome them as the newest members of the Ernie Barrett Athletic Endowment Society. Their contribution helps K-State move toward achieving the goal of fully endowing scholarships for our student athletes.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/11/06 — Alumna commits funds for K-State apparel marketing scholarship

Barbara Weigand, Oneonta, N.Y., has made a commitment of $50,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Barbara Weigand Scholarship in Apparel Marketing.

The purpose of this endowment is to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design specializing in apparel marketing in the College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University.

Weigand is a native of Topeka, Kan. She graduated from Kansas State University in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics educatio n and in 1951 with a master’s degree in clothing and textiles. After graduation, she taught clothing in the Wichita and Valley Center, Kan., areas before teaching at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Wash. She then moved to New York where she taught clothing for 29 years at the State University of New York in Oneonta.

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

“My Kansas State degrees have prepared me for a very good career in teaching,” Weigand said. “I am a firm believer in giving back, and I am pleased to contribute to a scholarship in apparel marketing.”

“First, on behalf of all the faculty and students in apparel and textiles, I would like to thank Barbara for the Barbara Weigand Scholarship in apparel marketing,” said Gita Ramaswamy, interim head of the Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design. “It truly will change the lives of students who will receive this scholarship and will also encourage them to give to their alma mater, Kansas State University.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/11/06 — California couple establishes scholarship for K-State dance students

Donald and Linda Dressler, Irvine, Calif., have made a gift of $52,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Donald and Linda Dressler Dance Scholarship.

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the dance program in the Department of Speech Communication, Theatre and Dance in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University.

Donald Dressler graduated from Kansas State University in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. As a student, he was active in the debate team, student government and Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He earned a law degree from Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., and a master’s degree in business from Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif.

Linda (Miller) Dressler attended K-State for three years, majoring in Spanish. While at K-State, Linda served on the board of student communications and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She continued her studies at San Jose ( Calif.) State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 1968 and her master’s degree in library science in 1995.

The Dresslers are members of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State. They are also members of the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

“I enjoyed dancing as a teenager and still enjoy dance today as an audience member,” Linda Dressler said. “Dance is a beautiful art form. I hope to make it possible for someone to express themselves through dance and share with others.”

“Donald and Linda's gift to our dance program will help us to recruit and support outstanding dance students,” said Stephen White, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Their dedication to enhancing dance will have a significant impact on the success of the program, and we are tremendously appreciative.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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05/08/06 — Spencers commit $1.6 million to K-State football scholarships

Dean and Sharon Spencer, Netawaka, Kan., have made a commitment of $1,621,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Dean and Sharon Spencer Defensive Football Scholarship and the Dean and Sharon Spencer Offensive Football Scholarship. By endowing athletic scholarships, the Spencers will be recognized as part of the newly formed Ernie Barrett Athletic Endowment Society.

The recipient of each scholarship must be an undergraduate student properly enrolled in any curriculum at K-State and who is either a defensive or offensive player (respective to the scholarship) on the varsity football team. Preference will be given to Kansas high school graduates.

Sharon (Hansbearry) Spencer is a 1957 K-State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in home economics and education. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Dean Spencer graduated from Kansas State University in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry. The Spencers are members of the KSU Foundation’s board of trustees and Presidents Club, a leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

The Spencers’ gift was established through a charitable remainder unitrust. This type of trust allows KSU alumni and/or friends to make a gift while receiving lifetime income through a payout to a designated beneficiary. Advantages for the donor include lifetime income, avoidance of capital gains taxes, a charitable income tax deduction and satisfaction in helping Kansas State University. When the trust is terminated, the principal is passed to the Kansas State University Foundation to distribute for the benefit of the university as designated by the donor.

“As alumni of KSU, we are grateful for the positive influence the institution has made on our lives, as well as that of our two daughters and their spouses, who are also K-Staters,” Sharon Spencer said. “We are indeed proud to support this great university.”

“The Spencers are the embodiment of the K-State spirit,” Head Coach Ron Prince said. “On behalf of K-State Football, I would like to thank the Spencers for their contribution to the future of our program by endowing these scholarships. It is the manner in which our teams will represent K-State that will demonstrate to Dean and Sharon our immense gratitude.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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