Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 10:46 a.m.
Read more: Local, Education, Business
TOLEDO -- Fifth Third Bank representatives presented a check for $300,000 from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund to The University of Toledo Foundation Tuesday to help build a better tomorrow for women by providing scholarships to encourage enrollment in technology programs, specifically a joint degree--a Bachelor of Science and Information Technology--offered through the College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering.
Women from the Cincinnati and Piqua area will be given first priority for scholarship dollars because the Schmidlapp family was from that area. Northwestern Ohio and other Ohio residents will also be eligible.
“The Charlotte Schmidlapp fund is continuing its tradition of support for education for women through this grant,” said Karen L. Fraker, Senior Vice President and Foundation Liaison, Fifth Third Bank, (Northwestern Ohio).
Dr. Thomas Gutteridge, dean of the College of Business Administration states, “Traditionally information technology has been a field primarily populated by men. As IT becomes more and more central to the operations of businesses, we want to do our part to help provide incentives for women who might have some interest in the field. He added, “The generosity of the Schmidlapp Foundation will help create a new generation of businesswomen with IT knowledge and experience.”
In 1907 a noted philanthropist and former Fifth Third Bank president, Jacob Schmidlapp had already lost his wife, his mother and his daughter, Emma, in a train wreck when he and his remaining daughter Charlotte, were touring France to celebrate Charlotte’s graduation. In a freak auto accident, Charlotte was killed. Mr. Schmidlapp channeled his grief by establishing the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund in l908 to allow other young women to, unlike his daughters, realize their lives’ dreams.
Charlotte Schmidlapp FundIn 1908, women did not have the right to vote, did not typically attend college, and did not regularly work outside the home. It was also the year a visionary man turned love for his daughter into the United States first foundation dedicated solely to addressing issues facing women and girls. Its mission was, “to ennoble, uplift and strengthen the lives of young women who are compelled to be self supporting.” A noted philanthropist and former Fifth Third Bank president, Jacob Schmidlapp had already lost his wife, his mother and his daughter, Emma, in a train wreck when, in 1907, he and his remaining daughter, Charlotte, were touring France to celebrate Charlotte’s graduation. In an auto accident, Charlotte was killed. Mr. Schmidlapp channeled his grief by establishing the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund to allow other young women to, unlike his daughters, realize their lives’ dreams. Mr. Schmidlapp appointed a Distribution Committee for the fund, and directed that, in addition to Fifth Third Bank representatives, two important community leaders always serve on the Committee: The mayor of Cincinnati and the president of the University of Cincinnati. The Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund welcomed Cincinnati Mayor Mark A. Mallory to the committee in 2006, as well as two other important figures: Robert A. Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fifth Third Bank (Cincinnati) and Carolyn McCoy, the first manager of the Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank. Today through the sound management of Fifth Third’s investment professional, the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund has grown from $250,000 to over $29 million in assets. Grants are made to nonprofit organizations that support women and girls, including areas that promote access for women in the fields of science, medicine and technology. |
