University Receives $3 Million Gift
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe University of Evansville has received an approximately $3 million gift from a longtime elementary and high school teacher. The school says the donation from Irma Jean Rodgers will fund scholarships for area students beginning this fall.
January 21, 2014
News Release
Evansville, Ind. — Irma Jean Rodgers' career was spent teaching in Evansville – at Emma Roach Elementary (now Cedar Hall) and Central High School. She was a lifetime member of the National Education Association and a member of the Indiana and Evansville Retired Teacher Associations. Rodgers' love for education lives on following her death through a gift of approximately $3 million to the University of Evansville.
Rodgers' bequest will be added to an already generous endowment in memory of her parents, Lettie and Clarence G. Rodgers, and her sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Charles A. Weber.
“Irma Jean's generosity will allow the University to offer additional scholarships to Tri-State students who have financial need,” said John C. Barner, UE vice president for development and alumni and parent relations. “The entire family was committed to assisting bright local students with the opportunity to experience the impact of a UE education. The new gift will provide approximately $150,000 annually in additional scholarship support.”
“We're incredibly thankful to Irma Jean and the rest of the Rodgers and Weber families for their generous support of the University,” said UE President Thomas A. Kazee. “Their investment benefits the entire community as their scholarships are specifically designated for Tri-State students who need assistance. Clarence Rodgers was remembered as having great compassion for the 'underdog' and constantly assisting people in financial need. That legacy carried on through his daughters, and the young people of the Evansville area are the beneficiaries of that.”
Rodgers died February 8, 2013. Her gift to the University will allow for additional scholarships beginning in the fall semester this year.
About the University of Evansville: The University of Evansville is a private, liberal arts-based university in Evansville, Indiana, with a full-time undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2,300. UE's diverse student body represents 41 states and 54 countries.
U.S. News & World Report recognizes UE as a top 10 master's-granting university in the Midwest, and third in the region for “Great Schools, Great Prices.” For more information, please visit http://www.evansville.edu.
Source: University of Evansville