Supporters Like You

Meet Our Donors

We are thankful for those who have made an estate gift to the Fredonia College Foundation. Here are their stories.

Dallas K. Beal Legacy Society Members Create Diverse Opportunities for Fredonia Students, Faculty, Programs and More

The generous gifts from members of the Dallas K. Beal Legacy Society have a deep and long-lasting impact on Fredonia’s students, faculty and campus. These gifts ensure that Fredonia can realize planned goals and has the ability to address unforeseen needs, now and in the future.

A Legacy of Music and Education

Mary Anne and her mother carried on the family's legacy by establishing the Lois V. and Herbert W. Harp Memorial Scholarship endowment. The annual award is designated for an outstanding brass major with significant musical and academic achievements.

Marilyn and John Lojek

Scholarship Supports Fredonia's Education Students

I am a true believer that angels surround me and guide me. They sent me to Fredonia, who took a 17-year-old girl, nurtured her and watched her blossom and grow into a dedicated teacher.

Making Educational Dreams a Reality

Learn how Lea Galanter, '76 and Jim Sliwa, '81 are making a difference at the Fredonia College Foundation.

John and Maria Gorsky

Giving Back With STEM Scholarship

John P., '86, and Maria Gorsky of Cave Creek, Arizona, are two of Fredonia's newest members of the Dallas K. Beal Legacy Society. Through their planned giving by joining the Beal Legacy Society, John and Maria will establish a new scholarship at Fredonia.

Judy Cope and Wende Persons

Coming Full Circle

It's funny how life works, how a serendipitous choice to come to SUNY Fredonia in 1970 fueled my lifelong connection to music and desire to give back to the school nearly 50 years later. I chose Fredonia for three excellent reasons in my teenage mind: the college had a very good women's tennis team, it was in my National Ski Patrol area in Western New York and SUNY's in-state tuition would make it possible to afford a junior year abroad in Austria. A fourth reason quickly surfaced: the lure of the School of Music.

Rich and Pam Ryan

Inspired to Give Back

Designating Communication majors as recipients of a scholarship they created through the Fredonia College Foundation was a "no-brainer" for Rich and Pam (Chase) Ryan. Both graduates, from the classes of '86 and '87, respectively, majored in Communication. And upon reflecting on their lives over the last two decades, Rich and Pam credit their Fredonia education for career success that ultimately led both to become entrepreneurs.

Sharing Your Legacy

Everyone has a story to tell, and this one proves how important it is to pay it forward. “It’s all about sharing the journey” is one remark you will hear when you meet Carol “Stash” Stanley. The charismatic founder of STASH Sporting Goods and LaceLocker ^® was honored in 2010 with Fredonia’s Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award.

Laura Cirrincione smiling

Fredonia Shapes Educator's Success

Early in her teaching career, Laura Cirrincione knew that the "Fredonia experience" prepared her well to become a successful teacher. So she didn't hesitate beginning to "pay it forward" to benefit Fredonia's future teacher candidates.

Helen Johnson smiling

Passing the Torch – Keeping the Passion Burning

Helen Johnson, a graduate of the class of 1952, left her mark as an elementary teacher for 35 years in Kenmore, Orchard Park and Hamburg, N.Y. Helen retired as an elementary educator in 1985, but she continued to teach others throughout her life.

Bob and Betty Young smiling

We All Have One Life to Live, Love and Leave

A native of Collins, N.Y., Bob Young was a mechanic at Bethlehem Steel for nearly 20 years and also worked as a field superintendent for Herbert F. Darling Inc., a construction company based in Williamsville, until his retirement in 1989. He was a decorated U.S. Army veteran who earned the rank of sergeant and was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II.

Charles 'Chuck' Notaro smiling

Charting a Course for Generations of Students

Few people, if any, have had a longer and more enduring association with Fredonia than Charles "Chuck" Notaro. Soon after graduating from Fredonia High School in 1964, Chuck enrolled as a Psychology major, began working part time in the bookstore and never left the campus for the next 47 years until retiring as associate vice president and executive director of the Faculty Student Association.

Paul Mockovak smiling

Embracing the Spirit of Fredonia

Dallas Beal was president of Fredonia during the time of my arrival on campus as an undergraduate and throughout my graduate studies.

Dr. Estelle Crino and Pamela Warner smiling

A Cause Close to Her Heart

In 2009, Dr. Estelle Crino visited the Fredonia campus to attend an event honoring her mentor, Dr. Robert Heichberger. As an innovative leader, a beloved professor emeritus, executive assistant to the university president for 10 years and a longtime Fredonia College Council member, Dr. Heichberger had launched the Heichberger Family and Scholars of Leadership Endowment Fund to strengthen school leadership training.

Dr. James and Mary Ann Schnur smiling

Her Spirit Lives

Life is about giving and receiving gifts. Gifts that provide significant springboards during our lives are especially noteworthy. Such gifts last beyond the givers' and receivers' lives. Such is the case with the Winifred Budd Elementary Education Scholarship — a living remembrance of a special woman and alumna of Fredonia.

Theodore Frazeur and Chris Granger smiling

Building on the Strong Foundation of a Fredonia Education

In the summer of 2009, I became involved with fellow Fredonia alumni and friends to bring the Theodore Frazeur Percussion Scholarship to full endowment. In the process, I worked with the Fredonia College Foundation and communicated with many alumni that had been under the direction of Theodore Frazeur, the now-retired founder of the School of Music's percussion program.

Robert "Bob" Gloor and students smiling

Larger Than Life

Robert "Bob" Gloor was pleased to provide a leadership gift to Fredonia's Department of Theatre and Dance during the campus' first capital campaign, which began in 1995.

Willeta Swanson and President Dennis L. Hefner smiling

A Teachers Support Comes From the Heart

As a teacher who enjoyed a 33-year career, Willetta Swanson understands the importance of a college education. Willetta taught elementary school from the time she graduated from Fredonia in 1946 until her retirement in 1980.

One Couple's Desire to Do Real and Permanent Good

Annmarie (Woloszyn), '70, and Alan Nichter, '69, met at Fredonia as counselors during the 1968 Summer Freshman Orientation Program. They held fond memories, but had not been back to campus for some time. And then, as Alan writes, their relationship with Fredonia was energized…

Dolores J. Djelailja smiling

"Indeed I Was Here..."

As I enjoyed my retirement years basking in the Florida sun, I eventually realized I had to sit down and take stock of my life. I had to come to terms with what must be done with my estate and since there were no family members to consider in my will, an alternative plan had to be devised.

Ralph Serpe smiling

Remembering "the People Who Propelled Me"

Ralph Serpe, ’85, a philanthropic advisor, maintains a strong emotional connection to the people of Fredonia after following his sister Carole- Lynn, ’82, to western New York from their family’s North Babylon home on Long Island.

Dr. Robert A. Hagstrom smiling

An Open Letter to Fellow Alumni: Dr. Robert A. Hagstrom, '64

My desire to give to Fredonia has grown throughout my adult life, as I have become increasingly aware of how profoundly individuals at Fredonia influenced my life. I so wish that other undergrads, uncertain about their majors and futures, could have the same experiences — in their own unique ways, of course.

Margaret Shuler Wyckoff playing piano

Class of 1930 Graduate Still Supports, Celebrates Her Alma Mater

Some people have it all, and some people appreciate what they have. Margaret Shuler Wyckoff, Class of 1930, is one of the latter. As one of those special few who truly know how to make the most of what life has offered to her, she has been able to enrich the lives of countless students.

Doug and Ann Manly smiling

Helping Students Realize Dreams

Chances are you will find few individuals more supportive of Fredonia and the Fredonia/Dunkirk community than Ann and Doug Manly. A desire to share their good fortune with the community that has been such an important part of their lives has led to them making a very special gift to the Fredonia College Foundation.

Olga Cielnicky Leone smiling

Compelled to Share...

Olga Cielnicky Leone wanted to be an elementary school teacher. When she began her search for the right college, she sent letters to institutions across New York State, knowing that she came from an immigrant family of modest means and would have to work part time to support her dream.

Our Time to Serve

When my husband, Tony, and I retired, we were looking forward to spending time traveling, visiting grandchildren and continuing to enjoy our Fredonia home. Before spending our first winter months in Florida, we decided to update our legal papers.

Perpetuating the Gift of Education

I have been a part of University Advancement and the Fredonia College Foundation for two and a half years. Throughout that time, I have met with alumni all over the country.

Leaving a Legacy

In life, Dorothy (Lockwood) Anderson was a model of all that Fredonia can be. She made the most of her time on campus, then took the lessons she learned as a student and used them to earn personal fulfillment while delivering joy to countless others in the western New York community.

Helping Students Achieve Their Dreams

“I came to Fredonia as a quiet, small-town girl and found my voice,” Carol Ward, ’81, explains. She went on to say, “Fredonia has always meant so much. The people there took a little country girl from Ravena, New York, and made her more outspoken, more targeted and actually a more happily fulfilled young lady.”