TSU CoETCS Departments

A Promise to Keep: Recognizing Some Trailblazing TSU CoETCS Alumni Endowment Builders

August 24, 2007

To ALL Tennessee State University College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science Alumni;

On October 23rd, 2006 I received a e-mail from Irvin O. Brown, a TSU CoETCS graduate, who with a few other CoETCS alumni "trailblazers" set out to launch a Computer Science Alumni Endowment within the TSU College of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science (CoETCS). Called the "TSU Lucent Computer Science Alumni Endowment", this fund's intent was to provide scholarships for TSU computer science students. When this group received word that the TSUEAA was going to launch a comprehensive college-wide alumni endowment for the CoETCS in 2006, this group of committed alumni decided to combine their efforts with the TSUEAA. At some point-in-time after I received the e-mail. Irvin crafted a letter attention to Mr. Ben Northington in the TSU Foundation to transfer all funds held in two accounts to the new "TSU College of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science Alumni Endowment". The first endowment account which held a value of $10,900 and the second was a spendable account containing 'interest earned' with a value of a little over $1000. The funds in the first account was used to merge with the funds raised by the 'Mighty 100" to perpetually general interest income for future CoETCS student scholarships. With this merged fund, the TSUEAA was able to exceed its attainment goal for the launch of the TSU CoETCS Alumni Endowment. This second account will be combined with interested earned on the CoETCS Alumni Endowment in the 2007-2008 fiscal year, to award our 'first' Co ETCS alumni endowment scholarship. This is the promise we must keep to this trailblazing group of alumni.

I would like special recognition of the following people who established this fund:

Jesse Boyce
Irvin Brown
Carolyn Culp
Kade Holiday
Michael Holmes
Tomeko Sims Houston
Kevin Joyce
Hope Lawrence
Shannon Miles Martinez
Renee McCleary
Kevin McFerren
Chris Mosby
Amber Pullen
Cherita Rawls
Marissa Peek Scott
Dr. Marcus Shute
Robert Price III

These alumni reside (or originally resided) in the western suburbs of Chicago and shared a similar vision of providing sustained support for TSU engineering students. We are happy they decided to join the Mighty 100 initiative and they definitely strengthened our endowment launch efforts.

Thank you, Irvin Brown and the TSUNAA - Chicago West Suburban Chapter