Special memory
A $72,000 gift from the estate of Anne (Merriman) Thorne, a longtime area resident, is funding two scholarships in special education. Anne graduated from Michigan State Normal School in 1931 and taught her entire career in the Dearborn schools, where she also created the system’s speech-therapy department and curriculum. She was married to the late Dolph Thorne, an Ypsilanti businessman who owned Thorne Tire and Appliance.

A class(room) act
A $100,000 pledge from Robert L. Johnston, a long-time friend of Eastern Michigan University and emeritus trustee of the EMU Foundation, is furnishing an early-education classroom and resource library in memory of his late wife, Gail E. Johnston, who died in 2005. Gail Johnston taught mentally, physically and financially challenged children during her career as an educator. Helping to dedicate the room recently was the Johnstons’ daughter, Denise (pictured above with father Robert). The classroom and resource library will provide a learning environment for future and current early-childhood teachers and leaders.

Annabelle Sumera
A $153,000 gift from the estate of Annabelle Sumera, a 1942 graduate, is funding areas dedicated to early-childhood education. She was a longtime resident and elementary school teacher in Birmingham, Mich., who wrote children’s stories and poetry. Her gift will establish an elementary education classroom furnished with equipment and supplies specific to that area of study and enhance a reading alcove in the Bruce T. Halle Library.

Wolf estate continues giving
An additional disbursement of nearly $347,000 was received from the estate of Dorcas D. Wolf, who taught elementary school in the Waterford School District for more than 42 years. Last year, her estate provided more than $430,000 to EMU, which funded an endowed scholarship in the College of Education.

William and Delores Brehm

Dee (Soderquist) graduated from EMU in 1952 with a major in special education-mentally impaired and a minor in English. As an undergraduate, she was a member of Kappa Delta Pi, Theta Lambda Sigma and participated in the Choral Union. She resides in Virginia with her husband, William, chairman emeritus of SRA International, an information technology provider to government and industry. In 2004, the Brehms established the Delores Soderquist Brehm Endowed Scholarship with a $1 million pledge. In 2006, they completed their pledge, the largest scholarship gift in the institution’s history. Their gift will help EMU attract top students in high-need areas of teacher education and provide tuition support for students studying in the area of cognitive impairment.

Phil Jenkins

A gift of $200,000 from Phil Jenkins, a philanthropist from Ann Arbor, has funded additional scholarships for graduate students in Eastern Michigan University’s College of Education. Jenkins has donated more than $500,000 to EMU to date. His generosity supports the Jenkins-Tracy Expendable Scholarships in the Leadership and Counseling Department. Jenkins hopes his gift will help address a critical shortage of trained school administrators and counselors in Michigan and the nation. Two years ago, Jenkins’ donation provided tuition for 16 graduate-level students. This year, full tuition was provided for an additional 20 students in the program, funding almost 500 graduate credit hours in total.

Kelly Simpson
Kelly Simpson is the director of development for the College of Education. A graduate of EMU, she received her master’s degree in historic preservation in 2005. Before joining the EMU Foundation, she was a graduate assistant in the college and did consulting work in preservation. If you have an idea or question, pass it on to her at ksimpso1@emich.edu or 734.487.5125.