Dr. Mary Ann Bradford Burnam H’19 and her husband, Paul, documented a generous planned gift to establish the Dr. Mary Ann Bradford Burnam H’19 and Paul Burnam Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship. In 1977, Mary Ann was one of the co-founders of the Otterbein Nursing program; she also helped to establish the first nursing honor society on campus. Mary Ann and Paul are active members of the Lifelong Learning Community at Otterbein and have supported several causes at the University for nearly four decades.
Larry ’69 and Bernadette Green have donated $100,000 to create the Larry ’69 and Bernadette Green Endowed Scholarship, which will support undergraduate students in good academic standing who demonstrate financial need. In creating this scholarship, Larry shared that without the financial aid he received from Otterbein and the late Vida S. Clements, class of 1901, he would not have been able to complete his education. Upon graduation, Larry was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force through the Otterbein ROTC program. He served in Vietnam before becoming a special agent with the Defense Investigative Service and eventually retired as the deputy director for operations.
Ellen Gagné has designated $300,000 in her estate to support the Dr. William and Mary Davis H’01 Memorial Scholarship Fund. Gagné and her late husband, William Davis II, supported this endowed fund in the past, which honors his parents, who were longtime Westerville residents. The Davis family spent considerable time on Otterbein’s campus, enjoying theatre and arts events, basketball games, auditing classes, and volunteering. Gagné also donated $10,000 recently to further support the fund.
Former Board of Trustees member Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil ’71 confirmed a transformational estate commitment to create the Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil ’71 Endowment for the Performing Arts. A lifelong supporter of Otterbein’s music, theatre, and dance programs, Nevalyn documented this gift in honor of her parents, Ernest ’38, Hon. LL.D.’65 and Neva Fritsche.
Keith Malick ’73, P’12 and Ruth Ruggles Malick ’75, P’12 have made a significant donation to create a new endowment to support student internships and immersive learning within the Department of Theatre and Dance. Keith and Ruth believe that experiential learning outside the classroom is critical to student success. They are parents to Paige Malick ’12.
David ’68 and Cynda Schuler ’70 Widder are supporting the renovation of the Rike Center weight room with a $108,000 gift to enhance the facility for student athletes. Cynda was a cheerleader and David played baseball and was the quarterback of the football team. They have been longtime members of the “O” Club. David recently spoke to students at the Otterbein “Real World Fridays” event and shared the impact Otterbein has had on his and Cynda’s lives.
William Fotis and the Fotis Family established The William and Eleanor Fotis Family Endowed Scholarship which can be awarded to a deserving Otterbein student from any academic discipline. In addition to an outright gift of $27,000 to endow and initiate the new endowed fund, William has generously provided a $400,000 commitment to increase the Fotis Family Endowment later through his estate. Finally, William also provided $10,500 allocated across the other six Fotis endowed funds already assisting Otterbein students.
Jim and Kathleen Rutherford P’99 continued their support of the James A. and Kathleen C. Rutherford Endowed Scholarship with a $50,000 gift. The scholarship benefits firstgeneration Otterbein students with financial need and demonstrated leadership potential. Jim is trustee emeritus of Otterbein’s Board of Trustees, and Jim and Kathleen are parents to Keith Rutherford ’99.
Create a Donor Advised Fund at Otterbein
Alumni and friends can now create a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) at Otterbein in partnership with The Columbus Foundation. With an Otterbein DAF, a donor decides how they want their fund to help current or future Cardinals on campus by choosing the Otterbein programs they want to support. An Otterbein DAF can potentially grow tax-free in one of the several investment options and be available to support the donor’s next philanthropic project whenever the donor chooses.
For more information, visit www.otterbein.edu/giving/donoradvisedfunds or contact Kathleen Bonte, executive director of philanthropy and planned giving, at kbonte@otterbein.edu or 614-823-2707.
REMINDER
Named Endowed Scholarship Minimum Increasing on July 1
For those looking for a permanent way to make an impact at Otterbein, creating a named endowed scholarship fund can be a meaningful opportunity to honor family, a loved one, or recognize an impactful faculty member. The minimum investment level for named scholarship endowments, will increase from $25,000 to $50,000 on July 1, 2026.
To take advantage of the lower minimum endowment level now, please contact the Office of Philanthropy at 614-823-1400.
Grants, Corporate, and Foundation Support
Otterbein is honored to receive grant funding that helps to expand access, deepen learning opportunities, and fuel innovative programs.
STATE AWARDED GRANTS:
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Choose Ohio First FY21 Completion Grant
AMOUNT: $450,824
This continuation grant provides funding to complete the scholarships for students currently receiving the Cardinal STEM Scholars Building Ohio’s STEM Pipeline Scholarships.
Ohio Dean's Compact
Removing Barriers, Innovating Teacher Preparation, and Solving Ohio’s Intervention Specialists Shortage
AMOUNT: $49,998
Otterbein, in collaboration with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESCCO) and member districts, Partnerships for Authentic Learning and Leadership, and Columbus State Community College (CSCC), will implement a Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (RTAP) to create a teacher licensure in special education pathway and elevate teacher preparation effectiveness for K-12 intervention specialists in central Ohio.
FOUNDATION AND CORPORATE SUPPORT:
Austin E. Knowlton Foundation
AMOUNT: 500,000
This gift created the Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarships to support students, with a preference for STEM disciplines.
Vida S. Clements Foundation
AMOUNT: $231,000
This gift continues support of several Otterbein initiatives including the Archives Sports Film Digication Project, cross country track improvements, Rike Center bleacher renovations, and facility upgrades in the Battelle Fine Arts Center.
OhioHealth
AMOUNT: $250,000
This endowment will support student mental and behavioral health and well-being.
Above L to R: President John Comerford; Bill Fox, vice president for student affairs; Otterbein Trustee Sonya Lowmiller Higginbotham ’98; Theresa Harris, vice-chair of the Otterbein Board of Trustees; Student Trustee Travis Allen ’28; Karen Morrison, president of the OhioHealth Foundation and senior vice president of OhioHealth; Otterbein Trustee Lindsey Osting ’02; and Floyd Akins, vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement.
