Contact: Peter Carrington, University Relations, (517) 353-4894, carring3@msu.edu; or Suzette Hittner, College of Natural Science, (517) 353-9855, hittner@msu.edu
3/30/2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. � A new endowed scholarship program in Michigan State University�s College of Natural Science will provide $5,000 scholarships to students from Lansing�s J.W. Sexton and Eastern high schools starting in the fall.
The Larry D. Fowler Endowment in the College of Natural Science was established with a $1 million gift by an anonymous donor in recognition of Lansing attorney Larry Fowler. Fowler is a 1957 graduate of MSU�s Eli Broad College of Business and received his master�s degree in business administration in 1961.
�I am humbled by the establishment of this endowment,� said Fowler, partner in the Lansing-based law firm of Fowler & Tuttle. Larry Fowler was an All-American member of the MSU National Championship football teams in the early 1950s under coach Biggie Munn. He attended MSU after graduating from Eastern High School.
�As a recipient of a books and tuition scholarship awarded through Eastern High School, I know that it provided me with direction and an appreciation for a better education,� said Fowler. �The Larry D. Fowler scholarship will assist local students in experiencing the joy and discovery of science and mathematics, while providing the resources to allow them to focus on their studies.�
The scholarship will provide undergraduate scholarships to one student from each high school that enrolls in the College of Natural Science and maintains a grade point average of 2.5. The college will choose scholarship recipients based on their choice to major in science. Each student�s scholarship is renewable for up to three additional years.
The endowment also provides undergraduate research stipends in the College of Natural Science.
�The research stipends help defray costs of students who participate in research,� said George Leroi, dean of the College of Natural Science. �The Fowler awards will enable undergraduate students to tackle scientific problems through hands-on experience in scientific discovery and critical thinking. Independent research is a wonderful learning tool for students who are passionate about science.�
Since the anonymous donor chose to endow the $1 million gift, the principal of the gift will continue to grow, allowing more students to receive the scholarship over time. In effect, the fund will remain in perpetuity to benefit students in the College of Natural Science.
The College of Natural Science is one of the largest of MSU�s 15 colleges. It has more than 6,000 students enrolled in its 22 departments and programs.
For more information about making a gift to the Larry D. Fowler Endowment, contact the College of Natural Science Development Office at (517) 353-9855.