When John W. Whitefield ’65 passed away in 2004, his colleagues and friends began raising funds for a scholarship that would keep his memory alive through generations of students who would receive the award. Through the work and creativity of some of his closest friends, including fellow alumni Dr. Ed Dalland ’68 and Dr. Joel Edwards ’64, the scholarship fund recently reached $100,000 with more than 350 donations from friends, family, colleagues, classmates, and clients.
“John was a good friend of mine and when he became ill I recruited a number of Cornell alumni to form a fundraising committee headed by Joel Edwards to establish the Whitefield Scholarship,” said Dalland. “We wanted to honor John while he was still alive, and he was very humbled. We mailed brochures to all practicing veterinarians in New York State letting them know of our efforts and asked veterinarians to give their clients the opportunity to contribute, especially those with pets on which John had performed surgery.
“The College’s alumni are devoted to the profession, the College, and their communities. Reaching our goal of $100,000 took approximately five years of effort, but we made it! John upheld that spirit of service, and in his honor we hope to support students that will do the same.”
The John W. Whitefield ’65 Memorial Scholarship will be given every year in perpetuity.
“Dr. Whitefield had to drop out of Cornell for one year because he ran out of money,” said Dalland. “Thankfully he was able to earn enough to complete his education. That is why the scholarship is to be awarded to a third-year student interested in pursuing a surgery internship or residency after graduation. What a terrible loss our profession would have suffered if he was unable to finish his education.”
The minimum for scholarship endowments at the University and College is $100,000, which provides annual support in perpetuity to qualifying students. Scholarships may be named for individuals, animals, or beloved faculty members and provide much-needed assistance. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship or know of individuals who might be, contact Amy Robinson in the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development at amy.robinson@cornell.edu.
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