Building Greatness
On November 11, leaders of WVU's new $250 million capital campaign celebrated their WVU team spirit at a special campaign kick-off event held at the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility—a fitting location because it is the home of the WVU football team.
The facility was decorated elegantly for the occasion, featuring a large video screen that projected campus scenes and a moving campaign video. Following a briefing, national campaign committee members, the WVU Foundation board of directors, and guests had lunch together.
Ray Lane '68, the former Oracle Corp. president and chief operating officer who is serving as the national campaign chair, couldn't be on hand for the kick-off due to the impending birth of his daughter. You might say he was called away for the start of another important event. Catherine Victoria Lane arrived healthy and happy on November 16.
Filling in for Lane as the main speaker was Campaign Vice Chairman Stuart M. Robbins, the retired managing director of the Wall Street investment firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. A Parkersburg native, Robbins is a 1965 WVU graduate in history and currently resides in Connecticut.
"We are very fortunate to have Ray Lane as the chairman of this campaign," Robbins told the group. "His enthusiasm energizes all of us, just as his and Stephanie's exceptional financial commitment serves as a challenge to each of us to equally sacrifice for the welfare of this great University.
"Serving as vice chairman is a way for me to give something back to the University I so cherish. By reaching out to others, I intend to help WVU continue its crucial work in the fast-paced, hightech environment of the 21st century.
"WVU is truly being recognized as an institution where greatness is learned. By supporting this campaign to whatever extent possible, everyone who cares about the future of WVU can help build this University into an even greater institution and an even greater source of pride."
In recognition of Veterans' Day, Foundation Board Chairperson Sue Seibert Farnsworth of Wheeling welcomed guests and asked them to stand for the presentation of the colors by the Air Force ROTC and the singing of the national anthem by the WVU Choir.
Musical entertainment from the College of Creative Arts included the Choir, Percussion Ensemble, and Steel Drums. The Pep Band closed the event with a rousing rendition of the WVU Fight Song.
Ogden Newspapers
Endows Journalism Professorship
The Nutting family has created an endowment to establish the
Ogden Newspapers Visiting Professorship in Journalism at WVU.
The gift was made in conjunction with the capital campaign launched
in November. The professorship is currently held by George Esper,
an internationally renowned Associated Press special correspondent
and 1953 WVU graduate.
"We have been interested in and supportive
of West Virginia University for over 100 years, my grandfather
H.C. Ogden having graduated in 1887," said G. Ogden Nutting
of Wheeling, president and publisher of Ogden Newspapers. "This
gift is definitely intended to be a public expression of our
confidence in the leadership of Chris Martin as the new dean
of the School of Journalism, and it is also given specifically
in appreciation of the vision and leadership that President David
Hardesty has brought to the University.
"We are particularly pleased that the first visiting professor
is George Esper, who has had a long and distinguished career,
and is honored and respected by journalists around the world.
His students are very fortunate to have the chance to learn from
the talent, experience, and enthusiasm that he brings to the
classroom."
"We are very grateful to the Nutting family, Ogden Nutting
and his sons, Bill and Bob, for their generous and continuing
support of West Virginia University," said President Hardesty.
"Private gifts such as this professorship are the reason
WVU is gaining national recognition for the depth and breadth
of its work. As we embark on a major capital campaign to build
West Virginia University into one of the nation's premier state
universities, it is imperative that we have this kind of private
support from the alumni and friends of this great University."
"To hold the initial Ogden Newspapers Visiting Professorship
in Journalism is a great honor for both me and my family,"
Esper said. "My good fortune is to teach in the name of
a family that is appreciated and respected by us all."
Ogden Newspapers owns seven dailies and two weeklies in West
Virginia, as well as 29 dailies in other states. Ogden Nutting
has been a leader in his support of WVU and the Perley Isaac
Reed School of Journalism. He has served on the school's visiting
committee, and Bill Nutting currently serves on the committee.
The family was instrumental in establishing the Ogden Newspapers
and Nutting Family Journalism Endowment Scholarship Fund and
the WVU Journalism Library Endowment Fund.
Ogden Nutting, a member of the WVU Foundation board of directors,
was honored with the WVU Distinguished Service Award in 1998
for his exceptional leadership in the state and nation. He also
received the WVU Most Loyal West Virginian award in 1996 and
was honored in spring 2000 by the Journalism Alumni Association
as a friend of the school.
"The Nuttings, who have been outstanding friends to the
School of Journalism, have provided us with a priceless gift-the
ability to bring extraordinary journalists, like George Esper,
to our school and to our students," said Dean Christine
Martin. "This professorship greatly enhances the reputation
of our school and enriches WVU. It gives our students the rare
opportunity to learn reporting, writing, and covering world issues
from one of the profession's most distinguished reporters."
Esper, who holds the professorship for three years, is teaching
writing and reporting courses, including the history of war correspondence.
He also is conducting workshops and seminars with regional newspapers
and travelling throughout the state and region lecturing and
representing the School of Journalism. Esper is a member of the
WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni and the School of Physical
Education's Hall of Fame.
Glasscocks Provide for Scholars Program
The typical WVU student today can expect
to owe nearly $16,000 upon graduation. That is a major reason
why scholarships are so important at WVU. Scholarships help to
attract worthy students to the University, enabling them to obtain
a first-rate education. Scholarships also send the message that
many alumni and friends care about WVU students.
Arranging a gift for an endowed scholarship with the WVU Foundation
is a simple task and can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
One way involves making a gift of cash, stocks, or other assets
to create the scholarship during the donor's lifetime. Another
is to include a scholarship in one's will.
That is the option Benjamin and Mary Jane Glasscock of Morgantown
chose. Rather than designate that the scholarship be awarded
to students in a certain college or school, or specific major,
the Glasscocks instead chose to provide an unrestricted scholarship
that will benefit all students eligible for the WVU Scholars
Program.
Both are WVU graduates. Ben earned an undergraduate degree in
1937 and a law degree in 1949. Mary Jane received a music degree
in 1939 and a master's degree in 1947. They have one daughter,
Susan J. Arnold.
Ben, a retired attorney, recalls: "Financially, I had a
difficult time getting through the University, and scholarship
funds in those days were practically nonexistent at WVU. There
are many students who will need that type of help now and in
future years. That's my reason for adopting this program."
Ben's feelings are those that many others experience. Remembering
one's own college days can be the motivation for creating a scholarship
that is a vital link to other students.
As an instructor in the College of Human Resources and Education
for 33 years, Mary Jane had the chance to guide the efforts of
many WVU students and see their financial struggles again and
again.
When the Glasscocks completed their gifts in their wills, both
became members of the Irvin Stewart Society. To create an endowed
scholarship that will last forever, a gift of $25,000 is needed.
That will provide partial support for a student each year. Another
option is to create a Presidential Scholarship for $75,000 to
cover full in-state tuition and fees. Any endowment gift can
be made over five years, if appropriate.
Each scholarship is named for whomever the donor specifies.
Other selection criteria, such as academic achievement, financial
need, and geographic residency, can also be included. A written
endowment agreement is made with the WVU Foundation to assure
that everything will be done exactly as the donor wishes.
However things are arranged, scholarship donors like Ben and
Mary Jane Glasscock add their own personal touch to many students'
educational experiences at WVU.
Phonathon Connects Alumni with Students
BY SARAH GIBSON
WVU's phonathon is about forming connections
between students and alumni.
"The phonathon gives the students an opportunity to build
a rapport with alumni. Sometimes the alumni enjoy hearing updates
about what is going on at their alma mater," said Andrea
Weber, assistant director of the Annual Fund.
The phonathon is a student-based campaign that began in the late
1970s and is operated by the WVU Foundation. Its mission is to
raise funds for WVU. Students are hired to call alumni and friends
of the University. They update them on what is happening in the
schools and colleges and across campus and seek their support
for the University. Alumni often inquire about professors and
staff they knew as students and ask the callers to relay messages
to them.
The callers say they like what they do because each call opens
a book to someone's own WVU story. "It is nice to talk to
alumni and listen to their memories of the University. Sometimes
callers will tell me how they met their husband or wife when
they went to school here," said Stacia Salerno, a dental
hygiene major.
With a participation rate of 25 to 30 percent, the phonathon
serves a dual purpose, according to Greg McCracken, director
of the Annual Fund. McCracken explained that the phonathon not
only helps raise funds for the University, but also is a great
part-time job for students.
"I have been a caller for over a year," noted Kari
Beth Law, a biology major. "I enjoy it because it is a fun
job and I know that what I am doing will help other students
and myself."
Every few weeks the group focuses on another college on campus.
"A phonathon is one of the critical elements at any university,"
said Rudy Almasy, associate dean for development in the Eberly
College of Arts and Sciences.
Weber stressed the fact that students and faculty directly benefit
from the generosity of the alumni. During the past 23 years the
phonathon has raised approximately $20 million. This money has
been used to create scholarships and help schools and colleges
buy new educational tools, improving the students' overall WVU
experience.
Valerie Shaheen, wife of a WVU alumnus who answered the phonathon
call in her husband's absence, also under- stands the importance
of donations. "By donating we are helping to continue the
good education at WVU," Shaheen said.
Brook Browning, David Brumley, Reuben Golden, and Susan Villegas
supervise the callers and at one time were callers themselves.
"I worked on the phones for a year and a half before I became
a supervisor. I think the phonathon is great because the callers
are not trying to sell anything, which makes it a lot easier
to talk to alumni and form a rapport," Golden said.
WVU alumna Deborah Pegher agreed with Golden. "I hate solicitors,"
she said, "However, when I heard it was a WVU student on
the phone, I wanted to listen because there was respect there.
It is important to support the school you came from."
So, when you hear, "Hi, my name is . . . and I am a student
at West Virginia University," take a few minutes to talk
with the student, relive your days at WVU, find out what is happening
today, and learn how to invest in your University's future.