Thank you for leaving your legacy at Wayne State
"Including the university in your estate plan is a visionary act, and one that lives on beyond the donor. At Wayne State University, our gratitude to you knows no bounds." President M. Roy Wilson
Student community outreach strengthens Detroit
"The diverse population in Detroit immediately drew me into Wayne State, where the campus provides a unique urban setting. This scholarship has validated the continuous hard work I put into my studies, and it will alleviate some of the financial burden that comes with obtaining higher education."
Hannah Langlois, M.S.W. student recipient of the Virginia Baumgartner-King Endowed Scholarship
A Family Tradition
Giving to (and benefiting from) Wayne State
Frank R. Baumgartner, Ph.D. has witnessed the life-changing impact of a college education; four generations of his family have earned Wayne State University degrees and used them to support their families and give back to the city of Detroit.
His mother, Virginia, established the Virginia Baumgartner-King Endowed Scholarship in 2006, noting that "Wayne State has enhanced our independence, our love of learning and our fruitful careers in public service."
Building on his mother's legacy, Frank has established an estate gift that will increase the size of the endowed scholarship to enable an annual, full-tuition award for a deserving student.
Reflecting on his decision to include Wayne State in his estate plans, Frank said, "I owe much of my success to what was provided for me by my family. But my family owes its self-sufficiency to Wayne State University."
Virginia and many of the women in her family worked in Detroit Public Schools, and Frank has followed the family path into academia as a university professor. "Education transformed my life, and giving back is the least I can do."
