Over the summer the Orthogonians reached a fundraising milestone. After a five-year campaign led by dedicated members, 220 donors collectively raised nearly $60,000, exceeding the original $50,000 minimum needed to create an endowed scholarship.
The Orthogonian Memorial Endowed Scholarship Campaign was in response to a great need for ongoing scholarship support for Whittier students. This scholarship will exclusively benefit selected deserving Orthogonian actives who have financial need.
Orthogonians Ivan Guevara ’59 and Robert E. Laskey ’59 were instrumental to this effort and worked closely with Whittier’s Office of Advancement in getting the word out to fellow members and hosting special events to bring the Os together.
The scholarship is in memory of Orthogonian brothers who have passed away and are remembered as leaders in their communities. A large plaque commemorating 80 such members is installed in the Graham Athletic Center.
“The scholarship is a show of support to the active Orthogonians and an expression of the bond that we have,” said Guevara. “It’s rewarding to see brotherhood expressed in this manner.”
The Orthogonian society is the second-oldest men’s society on campus, co-founded in 1929 by U.S. President Richard M. Nixon ’34, who was also elected its first president. In its 88-year history it has primarily attracted students from a working-class background and has consistently produced leaders who have improved local communities as teachers, principals, coaches, civic servants, business owners, directors, and CEOs.
The scholarship recipient will be selected for the fall of 2018 by an Orthogonian alumni committee under the leadership of Guevara.
The Orthogonians now join the Palmers, Lancers, and Athenians, who all have fully funded endowed scholarships.