Challenge has raised more than $1.5 million for scholarships

Despite an intervening recession, more than three quarters of the $1 million match has been claimed and used, and Pitt-Bradford students are benefitting.

The gift came from the estate of Agnes L. Thomas, a resident of Bradford for more than 50 years, to fund the Agnes L. and Lewis Lyle Thomas Scholarship Challenge.

For as long as the funds last, the challenge will allow donors to double the amount of gifts between $5,000 and $50,000 to new or existing scholarships. The gifts must be paid within five years to be eligible.

“There’s never been a time in our history that scholarships have been more important,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president. “All you have to do is attend our donor scholarship luncheon to see how much these scholarships mean to students.”

The luncheon is an annual event in which donors have the opportunity to meet their scholarship recipients. It is a popular event with students and donors alike.

In fact, it was the letters of grateful scholarship recipients that led Thomas to make her gift, said Alan Gordon executor of her estate and her accountant for more than 20 years.

Agnes Thomas was born and grew up in Pitcairn, Pa., graduating from Pitcairn High School. She married Lewis Lyle Thomas in 1937.

Agnes Thomas graduated with honors from the Pittsburgh Academy Business School and worked as an executive secretary at Dresser Manufacturing and later for Dr. Gordon Huff and Dr. Edward Roche.

Lewis Lyle Thomas was an engineer for the former Bradford Motor Works who died unexpectedly in 1969.

New scholarships created by the challenge include:

The Barbara and Harvey Golubock Petroleum Technology Education Fund endowed by the Golubocks for the benefit of students enrolled in the petroleum technology program.

“My own higher education was through public colleges,” Harvey Golubock said. “I was a first-generation college student in our family, not at all unlike the demographics of many of our Pitt-Bradford students.” Golubock is president and chief operating officer of American Refining Group.

The PBAA/Fannin & Foerstner Scholarship Fund endowed by former Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association president Tim Fannin ’78 and John Foerstner ’79. The two met while non-traditional business students at Pitt-Bradford and renewed their friendship through service on the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association board.

The Ward and Lori Garner/PBAA Scholarship endowed by Ward Garner ’89 and his wife, Lori. Ward Garner, who grew up and attended school in St. Marys, graduated from Pitt-Bradford in 1989 with a degree in business management. The scholarship will benefit a business student from Elk County.

The Dr. Rebecca J. Mowrey Excellence in Sport Studies Scholarship Fund endowed by Dr. Rebecca J. Mowrey, Dr. Holly J. Spittler and Drs. Jim and Thelma Mowrey for the benefit of an upperclassman majoring in athletic training, sports medicine, or sport and recreation management.

Mowrey served on the Pitt-Bradford faculty for 13 years, where she helped establish the sport and recreation management and sports medicine majors.

The Ann and Dick Kessel Scholarship Fund endowed by the Kessels with preference given to students enrolled in business management, sports medicine, nursing or pre-medicine majors.

The Kessels gave the scholarship to each other as a special birthday gift.

The Jardini Family Fund endowed by David Jardini and his wife, Dawn.

David Jardini is the co-founder and president of C/G electrodes LLC in St. Marys. The Jardinis are both University of Pittsburgh alumni.

The Jack and Grace Knapp Fund for Forensic Education endowed by Kathleen Knapp Holt in honor of the longtime Bradford residents. Scholarships from the fund will benefit criminal justice students.

Knapp is a Bradford native who spent her youth on Pleasant Street playing with a boy who would grow up to become president of Pitt-Bradford, Dr. Richard E. McDowell, president emeritus, and hanging out with her brother’s best friend, the late Dennis Lowery, who was the first Student Government Association president and who was instrumental in starting the PBAA.

The John and Marie Seltzer/PBAA Fund was established by the couple, who met at Pitt-Bradford.

Two dozen other scholarships have also been established for the benefit of Pitt-Bradford students thanks to the Thomas Scholarship Challenge.

To find out more about the scholarship challenge or endowing a scholarship, visit www.upb.pitt.edu/giving.aspx or contact Joelle Warner, manager of donor relations, at (814)362-5104 or jaw104@pitt.edu.

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