News and Events - $12 Million
Bequest from George L. Houston is Largest in University's
History
The University of Maine School of
Forest Resources will be able to attract more of the best and
brightest students from across the country after a 1937 forestry
graduate left a $12 million bequest to establish the George L.
Houston Scholarship Fund.
“This donation will benefit generations
of students and enhance UMaine’s ability to serve our state in a
unique and invaluable way,” President Robert Kennedy said.
Announced in September 2007, the
bequest is the largest in the University’s history and will
support both undergraduate and graduate scholarships that will
be awarded annually.
Houston, who left his bequest through
the University of Maine Foundation, died in 2007 at age 91. He
was born in Bangor and raised in Brewer. An executive involved
with surveying and engineering, he lived primarily in New York,
but moved back to Bangor during the latter part of his life. In
1995 he donated his 217-acre family farm in Hudson to UMaine
through the University’s Green Endowment Program.
Edward Ashworth, dean of UMaine’s
College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture, called
Houston’s gift “remarkable, not only for the level of
generosity, but also for the investment in future generations of
foresters and the demonstration of confidence that he has in the
School of Forest Resources.”
The scholarships will attract more
talented young people to consider careers in forestry, said the
dean, noting that excellent students “raise the bar” and enrich
the learning environment for everyone. Few university forestry
programs have this many scholarships available, “so clearly this
means that UMaine will continue to be the place to learn
forestry.”
Professor Steve Reiling, interim
director of the School of Forest Resources, said an ambitious
national recruiting effort would begin immediately. Thanks to
the bequest, $500,000-$600,000 in scholarships will be available
each year. Depending on student need and qualifications, 5-10
undergraduate scholarships and two or three graduate
scholarships could be handed out annually.
The gift “guarantees that we can
continue to provide the high quality educational program and the
high quality graduates needed by this industry which is in
transition,” he said.
Amos Orcutt, president and CEO of the
University of Maine Foundation, said even though Houston spent
most of his life out of state, he continued to value the
thriftiness and strong work ethic that typifies Maine people.
“He was crusty and could sound gruff at
times, but he had a heart of gold and wanted to do the right
thing,” Orcutt said. “Forestry and wildlife education was
important to him and he loved the University of Maine.”
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