From College Drive to Jordan Road, Louis and Evelyn Balmer have supported Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, since its founding 60 years ago -- first through education and now through their philanthropy.
In the fall of 1948, the Balmers were among the first to arrive at the recently founded Penn State Behrend. Lou Balmer was one of the college's first 12 full-time faculty members, teaching chemistry to the first 146 students who enrolled in the college. Lou and his wife, Evelyn, lived in Carriage House, part of what is the historic core of the Penn State Behrend campus.
Lou Balmer was a member of the college's chemistry faculty until his retirement in the spring of 1982.
Today, the Balmers contribute to students' classroom experiences through the Louis W. and Evelyn H. Balmer Trustee Scholarship. The couple provided a $50,000 gift to create the scholarship, which gives initial preference to students pursuing a chemistry degree. The Balmers live on campus too; they have a Jordan Road address these days.
"Penn State Behrend and our students are fortunate to receive support from longstanding community members like Lou and Evelyn," Jack Burke, chancellor, said. "Lou has taught thousands of students in the classroom and now, as they work to complete their degrees, our current students benefit from the Balmers' wonderful philanthropy."
Balmer earned a master's degree in education from Penn State University Park and holds a bachelor's degree from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y.
The Trustee Scholarship program, launched in 2002, is part of an effort by Penn State to secure private support University-wide for new undergraduate scholarships. This scholarship program has a unique matching component to maximize these efforts -- the University matches the income from the gift annually, doubling the financial impact of the scholarship. A $50,000 gift for this purpose, which might generate $2,500 per year or 5 percent in spendable income, is matched by an additional 5 percent or $2,500 from the University every year in perpetuity for this same scholarship.
For more information about Penn State Behrend, visit www.behrend.psu.edu.