Westminster College Gets Largest Gift in Its History
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Westminster College has received the largest gift in its 160-year history as a result of a $7 million bequest from Helen Louise Lemmon. The gift will be used to endow The Lemmon Family Scholarship for students seeking careers in the sciences.
The gift is part of Ever Higher: The Campaign for Westminster College, and helped Westminster surpass $37.4 million toward its $50-million goal, said Richard H. Dorman, college president. Ever Higher entered its public phase in September and is already the most successful fundraising campaign in Westminster history.
The Lemmon Family Scholarship is restricted for use in the sciences and criteria will be defined later this year. The previous largest gift to Westminster was $3 million from Andrew McKelvey to help construct the Andrew J. McKelvey Campus center in 2003.
Westminster was recognized by Forbes.com as the "best college in the nation for women in the S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) fields," and Westminster graduates are accepted into medical school at double the national average, Dorman noted. The sciences, especially biology-related fields, are Westminster's fastest growing majors. All Westminster programs emphasize experiential learning and preparing students to succeed in their chosen field of interest.
Margaret "Peggy" Lemmon Janisse, Martha Jane Lemmon, and Helen Louise Lemmon were the daughters of George Steele Lemmon, a chemist with Teledyne Vasco Co. in Latrobe, Pa., and June Saxman Lemmon, an accomplished artist. Louise entered Westminster College in 1938 and completed two years of study with a major in secretarial science and worked as secretary to the president of Allegheny Steel.
Peggy completed three years at Westminster. Following the death of their parents and the death of Peggy's husband, the two sisters returned to the family home in Latrobe to care for their sister.
Louise retired in 1962 while Peggy worked in interior design and as a volunteer for Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. Peggy died in 2010, Louise in 2011.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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