A new scholarship, made possible by a $1 million donation by Robert and Bonnie Buchanan, who both graduated from Lawrence in 1962, will add nearly $50,000 to Lawrence’s financial aid pool. In 2010, the new Bonnie Glidden and Robert C. Buchanan Scholarship will provide four scholarships of $12,500 each.
The four scholarships will be awarded during the named scholarship process, and will not be application-based or nomination-based merit scholarships.
“Named scholarships are awarded in the financial aid office and student selection is based on the criteria and preferences established by donors,” assistant director of donor relations Erin Chudacoff said.
According to the Buchanans’ wishes, students from the Fox River Valley and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan who are interested in studying English or economics will be given preference for the scholarship.
“We are honored that Bob and Bonnie decided to invest in Lawrence in this most thoughtful fashion,” said Cal Husmann, vice president for development and alumni relations.
“The timing of this gift is incredible,” Husmann contined. “Given the current economic climate, this is a testament to Lawrence’s standing in the community. This gift provides further proof of the importance of [Lawrence] and our amazing students, who have demonstrated time and again that they are worthy of this kind of investment.”
The Buchanans, who met while at Lawrence, are long-time supporters of the university. The Buchanans politely declined to comment for this article.
Bob graduated with a degree in economics. After three years in the Air Force, he received a master’s degree in business administration from Dartmouth College.
Bob spent his career working in the Fox Valley’s paper industry, retiring four years ago as chairman of the Fox Valley Corporation. He served on Lawrence’s board of trustees for 31 years and as the board’s chairman from 1984 to 1986. He now serves on the board of directors for the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and the Green Bay Packers.
Bonnie graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English. She served as the director of the Lawrence Alumni Association from 1968 to 1971, and she has served on the board of directors for the YMCA of the Fox Cities and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
This is the second major donation made by the Buchanans to Lawrence. In 1994, they established the Bonnie Glidden Buchanan chair in English. The current Bonnie Glidden Buchanan professor is Associate Professor Timothy Spurgin.
Recent gift from Buchanans boosts financial aid
