"I want Beloit's facilities to be on par with - or better than - what other schools have," says James J. Flood'49.

Twenty years ago, Beloit’s Sport Center was among the best such college facilities in the country. Today, a new gift commitment and fund-raising effort will keep the center at the top of its game.

Judith Siess'69 is not alone in her campaign to strengthen interdisciplinary studies, but her contributions stand apart in the way they revive and pay homage to elements of the Beloit Plan.

The author of The One-Person Library newsletter is on a one-person crusade to strengthen interdisciplinary studies at Beloit College.

“We think it is crucial to reward students who excel at Beloit, and to do it in the name of two of Beloit’s finest. The Wirtzes were devoted to careers involving substantial service, not just to Beloit, but to all people they encountered and to the government and the country. We think they would value the way the scholarship encourages individual students.”

“We are thrilled to leave behind a legacy that will provide scholarships to benefit future generations of underrepresented students.”

When asked to give something back to the College that they would soon leave, members of the class of 2007 took the charge to heart. They raised more than $30,000, the largest senior class gift in more than a decade, to create an endowed scholarship fund.  

“I hope the International Education Venture Fund attracts students who can dream a bit and take a chance to try things. They will learn that things can really happen when they do.”

For Betty Rearick Chenoweth’55, life is all about connections – among ideas, generations, cultures and alma mater. These connections, she believes, are likely to make a difference in the future.

“Jon and I believe in giving back to the College that gave us so much. It's important to help Beloit provide its students with the means to learn about the world and themselves.”

Recent graduates have a lot of financial pressures on them, like repaying student loans, career pursuits, and relocation for starters. While a sizable financial contribution to Beloit might seem unrealistic, many younger alumni are taking advantage opportunities that help a modest commitment grow into a substantial gift over time. Sarah Ruja Van Niewaal’02 and Jon Van Niewaal’01 provide a great example.

“With me, it’s simply a love affair. The place is one of my favorite places on planet earth, and I’ve met so many wonderful Beloit people. They’ve come together in numerous and varying combinations through the years to help the College become a better place for students.”

For more than four decades, life trustee Ed Bruning has maintained a strong affiliation with Beloit, an institution that's not even his alma mater. "Through the years, I've seen so many wonderful people help the College become a better place for students," says Bruning. Recently, the Brunings made a significant contribution to the College's Classic. Daring. Life-Changing. campaign, dividing their gift between current support for the Beloit Fund and endowment for the Miller Upton Forum.

“Establishing an endowed scholarship fund in my father’s honor recognizes my debt to him in a way that will benefit generations of families who also view education as the avenue of opportunity.”

“When I was a student, 90 percent of the students were on some form of financial aid,” remembers trustee and campaign leader Bill Fitzgerald’86. “What made Beloit affordable for my family was our unique Moral Obligation Scholarship program, whereby the College funds a portion of a student’s tuition, with the understanding that the student will voluntarily assume an obligation to participate in the funding of future students.” Fitzgerald has taken this obligation seriously over the years and recently decided to establish an endowed scholarship fund in honor of his father.

A science major, Bob Porter preferred to engage in discussions of literature and history. “This liberal arts background gave me a broad scope of knowledge and the opportunity to succeed in my future studies.”

Dr. Robert Porter’56 set out to accomplish many goals with his gift for the Porter-Brown Auditorium in the new Center for the Sciences. He wanted to honor his family legacy and recognize a life’s work in science and the importance of science education at Beloit. He also wanted to contribute to the Reunion Giving Program in honor of his 50th class reunion, and he wanted to stretch beyond what he thought he might be able to give.

“I am confident that this fine coaching staff can make an already strong Beloit football tradition even better.”

When Chris Brann, Beloit College’s first new head football coach in 30 years, moved his successful approach south from Northfield, Minn., he and Director of Athletics Kim Chandler recognized it was time to also appoint a new assistant coach—an offensive coordinator. After all, Brann was setting some significant goals for himself and suggested that his first season was not too soon to achieve them.