CMU computer science earns first permanent endowment
Grand Junction – Some people curse computers, the MacEvoy family celebrates them. Computers shaped the future for the MacEvoys through education at CMU. That’s why Shirley MacEvoy Clark invested $50,000 and worked with her sister and brother to create the MacEvoy Family Endowed Scholarship for computer science at the CMU Foundation.
Warren MacEvoy Jr. is a professor at CMU as was his father, Warren MacEvoy Sr., who taught in the 1980s and 1990s. All three MacEvoy siblings attended CMU and graduated with degrees in computer science. MacEvoy Sr. was born in 1919, and in addition to teaching at CMU, was also a veteran, engineer and world traveler. According to family, he was also a good listener and an unsurpassed story teller.
While much of the life of MacEvoy Sr. pre-dated computers, his passion for science and engineering was top-of-mind when his children discussed creating the endowed scholarship. The scholarship not only celebrates the life and interests of MacEvoy Sr., but also serves as the first endowment for the computer science program at CMU. The endowment theme also reflects the common ground of computer science that exists between the siblings despite living in different locations.
“We were not a wealthy family,” said Warren MacEvoy Jr. “CMU changed the course of our lives through computer science education and this endowment honors our father and pays forward the opportunities we received from him and this university.”
MacEvoy Clark also reflected on the motivation of the endowment in terms of her father.
“I won the lottery when it comes to my dad,” said Clark. “Loving, kind and well-rounded describes who he was and the life he lived. The life he lived in the past will contribute to a better future for students and this will be a rewarding outcome of this investment in CMU.”
CMU President Tim Foster applauded the creative approach taken by the family in celebrating the legacy of their father.
“Considering all three MacEvoy siblings obtained degrees in computer science from CMU, their thoughtful approach to investing in the computer science program makes a lot of sense,” said CMU President Tim Foster. “The CMU Foundation has received a number of creative endowments over the last few years, and these specially tailored gifts are always rewarding and meaningful contributions.”
The endowment established by Clark and her brother, sister and husband, Chuck Clark, was invested for the benefit of Colorado students with financial need, who are interested in studying computer science at CMU. CMU Foundation Associate Director Rick Adleman believes endowments tailored to fit a family’s vision are growing in popularly at CMU because donors can preserve a loved one’s legacy while also contributing to a better future.
“Working with the MacEvoy family to create this scholarship was rewarding and reminded me why I have one of the best jobs in the world when it comes to bringing to life the vision of our donors,” said Adleman.
The MacEvoys plan to visit Grand Junction in October where Foster, the Foundation and the family will host a lunch with the first year’s scholarship recipients.
The scholarship endowment is the latest in a series of recent contributions made to support education in the community. Donors interested in learning more about the MacEvoy Family Endowed Scholarship or the computer science program are encouraged to contact the CMU foundation.
-
The MacEvoy Family.
-
-
