RECENT GIFTS
Still Flying High
Eino Latvala , ’ 48 B . S ., ’ 53 M . S ., grew up on a farm in northern Minnesota . As the oldest boy in a family of nine children , he was pulled out of school by his father when he was 14 to help on the farm .
In 1942 , Latvala enlisted in the Army Air Corps . He went on to fly 63 combat missions during World War II and the Korean War , and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross . The G . I . Bill allowed him to attend the U without a high school education . “ I loved studying and my professors
Eino Latvala ( third from left )
were great ,” Latvala recalls . “ It got me started in mechanical engineering .”
During his 40-year career at Texaco , ARO Inc ., and Otis / United Technologies , Latvala and his wife made smaller gifts to the U . “ My 50-year reunion convinced me to do more ,” he says . Recently , the couple made two gifts totaling $ 150,000 to the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering . “ I owe a lot to the U . S . Air Force and the U ,” says Eino . “ Without them , I wouldn ’ t have been as fortunate .”
Celebrating 27 Years
“ Three generations of our family have benefited from the U ,” says Dr . John Reynolds , ’ 83 B . S . “ I grew up at the U , literally .” His father , Dr . Maynard Reynolds , earned his graduate degrees at the U , serving as a professor of special education for 38 years and becoming a pioneer in that field . John ’ s wife , Helenbeth , ’ 89 M . P . H ., is active in raising funds for children ’ s cancer research at the U . The couple ’ s daughter is now earning her M . P . H . at the U , and their son volunteered in the department where his grandfather worked .
On December 7 , 2012 , the date of their 27 th wedding anniversary , the Reynolds established the John M . and Helenbeth Reynolds Family Fund , which supports graduate students in special education and public health , with a gift of $ 27,000 . “ The fund honors John ’ s father , who died last year ,” says Helenbeth .
The Reynoldses plan to add to the fund over time to increase the significance of the scholarships .
A Passion for Education
When Kären Matison Hess , ’ 61 B . A ., B . S ., ’ 63 M . A ., ’ 68 Ph . D ., graduated from high school in 1957 , she dreamed of going to college but couldn ’ t afford it . Then a series of chance encounters led to a full four-year scholarship to attend the U , setting the stage for a lifetime of achievements .
Among them , Hess taught English at Normandale Community College , authored and co-authored more than 30 books , primarily on law enforcement and criminal justice , and served as an evaluator for 10 years in the Minnesota Department of Education . She died in 2010 .
“ My mother pretty much credited her entire career to the gift that got her started ,” says her daughter , Christine Hess Orthmann , ’ 90 B . S . “ She wanted to pass along that opportunity to others .”
Last year , Christine and her brother , Timothy Hess , honored Hess ’ wishes by establishing a doctoral fellowship in the College of Education and Human Development with a gift of $ 589,000 — royalties from their mother ’ s books . “ Education was my mother ’ s passion ,” says Orthmann . “ This gift is her legacy .”
John and Helenbeth Reynolds
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