Liberal Arts alumnus Geoffrey Morton is creating a scholarship for students of military families in the 文理学院 as well as campus beautification endowments for Penn State's 蒙特中音 及大学公园校园. This photo was taken while Morton and his wife 丽莎 were hiking in Utah along the Colorado River in April 2019.
宾州大学公园. — Geoffrey Morton can relate to students who grew up in military families. His 父亲, a 1949 West Point Military Academy graduate, served in the U.S. Army for 27 years, retiring as brigadier general in 1975.
“我在东海岸上下都住过. 我住在加拿大. 我在荷兰住过,莫顿说, 1982年欧博体育官网政治学毕业生, 和他的妻子, 丽莎, recently designated $2 million of his future estate to create both a scholarship in the 文理学院 for students from military families and campus beautification funds for Penn State’s 蒙特中音 及大学公园校园.
“Being part of a military family has its challenges,他说. “Moving from place to place and then landing at a big university like Penn State can be scary, 特别是如果学费是你的压力源之一. 我不知道现在的孩子是怎么做到的, so that’s what this [scholarship] is about—giving someone like me, 谁是在军人家庭长大的, 成功的机会, 在生活中取得成功的机会.”
尽管他的祖父, 父亲, and two brothers were army veterans and West Point graduates, 莫顿没有追求军事生涯. “我选择了这个家庭平民的一面,他说, adding that his maternal grand父亲 and an uncle were Penn State alumni.
Morton spent two years at 宾州州立大学蒙阿尔托分校 before transferring to University Park. 暑假期间, he worked as a bank teller and ultimately enjoyed a 27-year career in banking, retiring in October 2018 as relationship manager at Chase Paymentech Solutions in Columbus, 俄亥俄州. 莫顿的妻子, 丽莎, was also in banking but now enjoys running a small bed and breakfast and serving as art curator for the faculty club at the 俄亥俄州 State University.
“We’re proud of our alumni and especially grateful when they share their success with the programs and people who are most meaningful to them,欧博体育官网校长埃里克·巴伦说. “We deeply appreciate the Mortons’ vision, generosity and commitment to Penn State. Their gift will enhance our campuses and the lives of students from military families who call them home.”
When asked his reasons for dividing his estate gift between a scholarship and campus beautification funds, Morton cited his lifelong affinity for the outdoors and how Penn State fostered that love.
“蒙特中音 is at the base of a mountain, and I loved its forests and its arboretum. And the first time I walked up to Pattee [Library] through the stand of elm trees at University Park, 这真的让我很感动. My hope is that for centuries to come people will visit the campuses and be awed by the beauty and the nature preserved there.”
"我代表蒙奥图分校, I’d like to express my deepest appreciation for this generous campus beautification gift,弗朗西斯·K说。 . 他是宾州州立大学蒙奥图分校的校长. 比如杰弗里·莫顿, many who set foot on our campus for the first time are awed by its arboretum and beautifully manicured grounds. This gift will ensure that the 蒙特中音 campus continues to captivate hearts for years to come.”
“Our sincere gratitude goes to Geoffrey Morton for his generous gift to support students from military families,理查德·佩奇补充道, associate dean for undergraduate studies for the 文理学院. “Military members make many sacrifices to serve the country, and this scholarship will help their family members be successful students as they pursue a liberal arts education at Penn State.”
“宾州州立大学造就了今天的我，”莫顿总结道. “我生命中最美好的时光就在那里. Creating this estate gift just seemed the right thing to do.”
杰弗里·E. Morton Scholarship in the 文理学院 will be created with half of the Mortons’ $2 million estate commitment, and the remaining $1 million will be divided equally between the Geoffrey E. Morton Endowment for the Beautification of 宾州州立大学蒙阿尔托分校 and the Geoffrey E. Morton Endowment for the Beautification of University Park.
The gift helps Penn State as it seeks to fulfill its mission for a new era of rapid change and global connections through "为21世纪的卓越成就打造更伟大的欧博体育官网," a $1.6 billion fundraising campaign focused on three key imperatives: Open Doors, 创造变革性体验, 影响世界. 通过教学, 研究, 和推广, 也因为慷慨的校友和朋友, the 文理学院 is able to offer scholarships to deserving students, 创造塑造人生的体验, 并通过推动发现来改变世界, 创新创业. 欲了解更多欧博官网app下载，请访问 greaterpennstate.事业单位.edu.
