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The Meads
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| Walter and Thelma Mead |
In 1952, Walter J. Mead was the first University of Oregon student to earn a Ph.D. in economics. Now, he’s giving back to his alma mater through a $500,000 endowment gift for a faculty fellowship in economics.
“I really appreciated having the opportunity to get to know my professors well at the University of Oregon and the personal attention they gave me," says Mead, who also received his undergraduate degree from the UO in 1948. “I received an excellent broad liberal arts education that has served me well in everything I’ve undertaken. I’m indebted to UO for helping me lay the groundwork for a richly rewarding life and career, and I’m so pleased to be able to make this gift that can help ensure the continuing high quality of the faculty.”
After a distinguished career of thirty-two years as a professor of economics at University of California, Santa Barbara, Mead retired in 1991. A past president of the Western Economics Association, Mead’s expertise in energy economics earned him career recognition from the International Association of Energy Economists. In 1989, the College of Arts and Sciences also recognized his career by naming him one of their distinguished alumni fellows.
Mead, a native of Oregon who grew up in Salem, is fond of recalling his student days on campus. “Those friendships with fellow students and professors have lasted a lifetime,” he says. He and his wife, Thelma, recently returned to campus, where their son, Douglas ’77, studied as well.
They revisited some of their old friends and campus hangouts and, of course, “talked shop” with some of the UO’s esteemed economists. Department head Van Kolpin says it was a special occasion for the entire department: “It was a real treat to reminisce with them about the early days of our program.”
The Walter J. Mead Faculty Endowment Fund in Economics will be primarily used as a source of funding to retain top faculty and to lure the best and the brightest from around the world to join a department already renowned for its innovative programs and research.
“As a former professor, Walter Mead knows first hand how support for faculty translates into support for students,” says Dean Joe Stone. “When individuals like him step up and show this level of generosity and loyalty for their alma mater, it serves as a wonderful testament to the impact that our faculty have on students’ lives. Walter’s gift ensures that a world-class faculty will continue to inspire students at the University of Oregon for generations to come.”
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1245 University of Oregon • Eugene, OR • 97403-1245
(541) 346.3950 • FAX (541) 346.3282 • alumnidev@cas.uoregon.edu
Copyright © 2004 University of Oregon
Updated October 28, 2004
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