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SmallerMUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State University will endow an existing scholarship program with a gift in excess of $7 million from the estate of a longtime university supporter.
The bequest from Geraldine Whitinger, who died July 18, 2002, at age 80, will ensure the continued existence of the Whitinger Scholars Program, said David Bahlmann, president and chief executive officer of the Ball State University Foundation.
She was the wife of Ralph J. Whitinger, a local philanthropist and founder of the Ball State University Foundation.
"Mrs. Whitinger was a magnificent lady who loved the university and was particularly attached to the students in the program," Bahlmann said. "She enjoyed meeting regularly with them.
"Her bequest will allow us to continue to build a scholarship program that she strongly believed in," he said. "It was her wish that it continue after her death."
The Whitinger Scholars Program was created in 1976 by Ball State to honor Ralph J. Whitinger's contributions to the university. He died in 1982.
The program provides full tuition and housing for about 12 new students annually from a pool of about 130 applicants. To qualify students must have an outstanding high school academic record, submit a written application, provide two essays and interview with members of the selection committee.
Since its inception, the scholarship program has been funded by private gifts and unrestricted funds of the foundation. About 300 students have been named Whitinger Scholars since 1976.
James Ruebel, dean of Ball State's Honors College, said the endowment provides the university with new opportunities to attract academically talented students from across the country.
"The Whitinger Scholars Program has made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many students over the years," Ruebel said. "It has given some excellent students the opportunity to continue their education beyond high school.
"It also allows the university to diversify student population by attracting students from across the nation," he said. "For example, a student from California or New York brings a different perspective to the classroom that many students from the Midwest may not have."
The Whitinger gift is the largest estate bequest in university history. In 2001, Ball State received $2.1 million from the estate of Esther Aldredge, a 1934 Ball State graduate. Before her death in 1998, she established the Esther (Rinker) Aldredge Student Loan Fund to provide loans to undergraduate students.
(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Bahlman at dbahlman@bsu.edu or (765) 285-7067. Ruebel may be contacted at jruebel@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1024.)
By Marc Ransford, Media Relations ManagerThe bequest from Geraldine Whitinger, who died July 18, 2002, at age 80, will ensure the continued existence of the Whitinger Scholars Program, said David Bahlmann, president and chief executive officer of the Ball State University Foundation.
She was the wife of Ralph J. Whitinger, a local philanthropist and founder of the Ball State University Foundation.
"Mrs. Whitinger was a magnificent lady who loved the university and was particularly attached to the students in the program," Bahlmann said. "She enjoyed meeting regularly with them.
"Her bequest will allow us to continue to build a scholarship program that she strongly believed in," he said. "It was her wish that it continue after her death."
The Whitinger Scholars Program was created in 1976 by Ball State to honor Ralph J. Whitinger's contributions to the university. He died in 1982.
The program provides full tuition and housing for about 12 new students annually from a pool of about 130 applicants. To qualify students must have an outstanding high school academic record, submit a written application, provide two essays and interview with members of the selection committee.
Since its inception, the scholarship program has been funded by private gifts and unrestricted funds of the foundation. About 300 students have been named Whitinger Scholars since 1976.
James Ruebel, dean of Ball State's Honors College, said the endowment provides the university with new opportunities to attract academically talented students from across the country.
"The Whitinger Scholars Program has made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many students over the years," Ruebel said. "It has given some excellent students the opportunity to continue their education beyond high school.
"It also allows the university to diversify student population by attracting students from across the nation," he said. "For example, a student from California or New York brings a different perspective to the classroom that many students from the Midwest may not have."
The Whitinger gift is the largest estate bequest in university history. In 2001, Ball State received $2.1 million from the estate of Esther Aldredge, a 1934 Ball State graduate. Before her death in 1998, she established the Esther (Rinker) Aldredge Student Loan Fund to provide loans to undergraduate students.
(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Bahlman at dbahlman@bsu.edu or (765) 285-7067. Ruebel may be contacted at jruebel@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1024.)
