The Marvin Dale Martin and Catheline
Cathell Martin Scholarship

By Deborah Miller

His long career as a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Department of the Navy put Dale Martin '52 in the forefront of developing and evaluating innovative military equipment during the 1960s and '70s, including systems used on high-speed hydrofoil craft and on air cushion vehicles. He has also implemented a special way to support WVU and its students in the future.

A West Virginia native, Martin recalled that his first major career accomplishment was the development of automated activated hydrofoil fins that provide stabilization for the craft, especially in bad weather. The method is still used today.

Martin was the head engineer on the project that developed the systems for loading, fueling, and off-loading all types of U.S. Army equipment carried on Fast Deployment Logistics (FDL) ships. Using air cushion vehicles and other special landing craft for transport, the system developed by his team could unload the cargo of an FDL ship to a dock in the record time of ten hours or on to a beach in only 20 hours in the roughest off-shore conditions.

After becoming the director of the Navy's Test and Monitoring Systems Program Office at the Naval Material Command in Washington, D.C., Martin supervised the development and deployment of all types of test and monitoring equipment used on navy ships and airplanes and in maintenance shops.

In 1978 he received an Outstanding Achievement Award from five competing industrial associations for handling the development process of sophisticated automatic test systems. The process required broad military/industrial cooperation and resulted in a unique navy/multiassociation format for a report to the Secretary of the Navy.

"I feel that my engineering education at WVU gave me a really good preparation for my work with the navy," Martin said.

Retiring after 31 years of service, he and his wife Cathy now live in Florida. Over the years, both have enjoyed many activities, especially sailing and camping. They have visited all 50 U.S. states and have made several fondly remembered foreign trips.

"No matter where we've lived, we've always stayed close to our roots," said Cathy. As a way to provide a special incentive for young people "back home" in the Rowlesburg, West Virginia, area, who want to become engineers or earn other degrees at WVU, the Martins decided to include provisions in their wills. The Marvin Dale Martin and Catheline Cathell Martin Scholarship will last in perpetuity and provide annual income for the scholarship awards.

"Not knowing what our financial needs will be in coming years, it made sense to help the University through our wills," noted Cathy. "I know that many have college potential, and our scholarship will help them. It means a lot to us to do this," added Dale.

WVU Soccer Gets New Home:
Stadium Named for Wheeling Entrepreneur Dlesk

By Pam Fronko and Shawn Fluharty

The 2004 WVU men's and women's soccer teams will have a different look this season, in a new home. Completed in early September, the new stadium has been named in honor of S.J. "Dick" Dlesk, a Wheeling, West Virginia, entrepreneur. Overall, Dlesk's total financial commitment to the Mountaineer intercollegiate athletic program is in excess of $1 million.

In a combined outright and planned gift, Dlesk has made a commitment of $750,000 to help fund the construction and renovation costs of the stadium. The gift was made to the WVU Foundation on behalf of the Mountaineer Athletic Club.

"I am very pleased with this strong show of support for soccer, one of the country's fastest growing youth sports," said President David C. Hardesty. "Private funding will continue to help college athletics to grow significantly in popularity and scope."

Dick Dlesk Stadium seats up to 1,600 people and includes first-class concession stands and restrooms. Also, an adjacent practice facility provides more parking and improved access. Private funds totaling $1.75 million have been pledged toward the new project, estimated to cost $2 million.

"The new stadium is vital to having a strong Division I soccer program," WVU Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong said. "Mr. Dlesk's generous support of the project has allowed WVU to take another step to be competitive with the nation's best soccer programs­outstanding coaches, exceptional student-athletes, and now, excellent facilities."

Dlesk is president and CEO of Dlesk Realty and Investments, Inc., which deals with large-scale commercial and residential developments in the Wheeling and Greater Ohio Valley areas. Dlesk also serves as chairman of the board of the First West Virginia Bank Corporation and the Wheeling Hall of Fame. He is treasurer of the Bethlehem Lions Club and past president of the Wheeling YMCA.

"West Virginia University is indeed worthy of our support," Dlesk said. "The administrators, faculty, and coaches are among the best in the country. Students and student-athletes at WVU perform admirably on a national level in academics and athletics."

Dlesk and his wife Rosalie have several ties to WVU. They have two adult sons and six grandsons. Their son Randall attended WVU and a grandson, Richard, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business from WVU's College of Business and Economics. Another grandson, Ryan, graduated in May with a degree in civil engineering from the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

"Our family is proud to be a part of the Mountaineer Family, and we are grateful for God's blessings enabling us to share our good fortune with this outstanding university," Dlesk added.

There will be much optimism when both WVU soccer teams take the field in their new stadium for the start of the 2004 season. Last year, the women's soccer team finished 10th in the nation with an overall record of 17-4-2 and advanced all the way to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The top-10 finish is the highest ever for WVU women's soccer and also concluded a span of 20 straight weeks in the top-25 rankings. The WVU men's soccer team might not have finished as high in the rankings as their counterparts after compiling a 5-10-3 record, but expectations are still high for the incoming season. A strong recruiting class will add more young talent to a squad that already includes 13 sophomores, one junior, and four seniors, all of whom saw lots of playing time in 2003. The WVU soccer program has taken a giant leap forward with the construction of the new Dick Dlesk Stadium. With an already stellar women's soccer team and an up-and-coming men's squad, WVU soccer is ready to take off in the coming years.

Division of Forestry Receives Scholarship Funds

By Martha Richard

Center for Family Business Created

WVU's College of Business and Economics is opening a Center for Family Business to provide training, resources, and support for West Virginia family business owners.

"West Virginia depends on a large number of family-owned businesses to provide goods and services to its small and geographically dispersed population," Business and Economics Dean Jay Coats said. "Through a generous gift of the DeLynn family, we will be able to help this vital sector of the state's economy."

Laurence and Jean J. DeLynn donated $75,000 to create the new B&E Center for Family Business. The DeLynns owned two retail stores in downtown Morgantown. They succeeded in their business ventures, but many family businesses today still struggle and fail.

"My wife and I believe in small business, and we wanted to help the business school," Laurence DeLynn said.

The center will form statewide groups of family business representatives to identify the most significant issues facing their businesses, whether they have been in business for a week or a generation. Ideas from these groups will be used to develop seminars across the state.

Investing Wisely

By Deborah Miller

Finding a way to assure oneself of financial security while also helping West Virginia University can be challenging. Bob Mall, a '52 business administration graduate originally from Elkins, West Virginia, decided he could do that through creating a gift that would provide retirement income. When that worked well, he arranged a second gift to provide income for his wife, Patricia.

Bob Mall retired in 1995 as the manager of the pension fund for the City of Minneapolis. That position followed a successful career with General Electric and Honeywell. He spent five years in London as a financial officer of the Honeywell subsidiary there and later became vice president and treasurer of Honeywell. The Malls raised two daughters and now have one granddaughter.

Thanks to his educational and career experiences, Mall knows how to make good financial decisions. "We chose to help our respective universities this way, which will enrich students' learning someday and provides tax savings and income for us now. It has all worked out well," he said. Both of the special gifts he has created will provide a student enrichment fund to benefit the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences when the income payout ends.

Mall learned that cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, or mutual funds can be used for such a gift arrangement with the WVU Foundation. A partial tax deduction is earned, and no taxes on the capital gain are owed when appreciated assets are donated. A portion of the income may be tax-free.

"While going to Elkins High School," he said, "I had my heart set on going to WVU, my father's alma mater. University life more than lived up to my expectations. My teachers were great, and I made many lifelong friends in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. I hope that my support will help students have the kind of learning experiences I did."

Fall 2004 Contents

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