Ralph Millhone lives on
Bessie Millhone of Stanton, California, keeps her son's memory
alive with gifts and contributions to Iowa State engineering students. In
1995, Bessie donated her son's Ankeny, Iowa, land valued at more than $400,000
to set up the Ralph S. Millhone Endowed Presidential Scholarship Fund. Last
fall she gave ISU's solar car team $10,000 because she thought, "This
is something I think my son definitely would have supported."
Ralph Millhone, who earned his B.S. in 1954 and M.S. in 1959 in ChemE
at ISU, went to work for Chevron Oil Field Research Lab in California after
graduating. He started in natural gas processing research and later worked
on laboratory instrumentation design and well drilling research and equipment
studies. He died five years ago.
James Melsa, engineering dean, and Chris Curran, development officer
for the college, recently were in California on business and stopped in
to see the 94-year-old Bessie. "She's a delightful woman who has a
deep regard for the students who are being helped by Ralph's memorial scholarship,"
said Melsa. "The 18 scholarship recipients send her photos of themselves
and thank you cards, and Bessie just loves to receive them. I think she
thinks of the students as her extended family."
A short time later, Bessie sent a $200,000 check to expand the scholarship
program to ChemE students. Melsa said, "This scholarship encourages
exceptionally talented students to come to ISU without being limited by
financial concerns." |
