Thomas S. and Mickie Fox Receive Distinguished Philanthropist Award The 24th Annual Celebration of National Philanthropy Day was held on Tuesday, November 9, 2010, and at that time, the Distinguished Philanthropist Award was presented by the Thomas S. and Association of Fundraising MIckie Fox Professionals West Michigan Chapter to Thomas S. and Mickie Fox. The Foxes have been lifelong residents of Grand Rapids and have generously supported Spectrum Health, Metro Health, and Saint Mary’s Health Care as well as the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The Distinguished Philanthropist Award is presented to an individual or family with a proven record of exceptional generosity who, through direct financial support, demonstrates outstanding civic and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity encourages others to take philanthropic leadership roles on a community, national, and/or international level.
Burns Family Establishes Scholarship Imagine raising 11 children while running a dairy farm during the Great Depression. Louis and Florence Hogan Burns did just that. And they were a great success. What was their secret? According to one of their sons, Don, the young couple “learned to work hard, to be patient and to be persistent.” The Burns valued family, faith and education. Louis and Florence were educated by Dominican Sisters and were excellent students. Florence read every book in the library at St. Mary’s Academy, and Louis was valedictorian of his high school class. Their love of learning was imparted to their large family. “Aquinas College was, in their minds, a natural step in the process,” said Don. With their parents’ encouragement, support and inspiration, all 11 Burns children attended Aquinas. As a tribute to their parents, the children established the Louis and Florence Hogan Burns Scholarship at Aquinas. The family gathered in Holmdene last September for an official signing. It was a joyous occasion, one which certainly would have made Louis and Florence very proud.
38 Advancement | Spring 2011 | aquinas.edu/advancement
Pictured (l-r): Stephanie Silverberg (granddaughter), Janet Silverberg (daughter), John Turrentine (son-in-law), Thomas Fox Turrentine (grandson), Joan Fox Turrentine (daughter), Thomas Fox, Jr. (son) and Ed Balog. Not pictured Julie Fox (daughter).
Geis Legacy Continues It is believed that Plato once said, “Friends have all things in common.” Longtime friends C. Arthur Woodhouse, Sr. and Carl Geis definitely had one thing in common: Aquinas College. Years ago, Woodhouse, the first lay member of the College’s board, described his Aquinas connection to Geis, who then learned more about the place and, with his wife, Virginia (Ginny), developed an enduring commitment to Aquinas and its Catholic education. In 2002, Geis, a retired executive from Foremost Insurance Co., and his wife established the Carl and Virginia Geis Scholarship at Aquinas to encourage undergraduate students to pursue careers in business and health care. The scholarship is a tribute to their commitment to students who reflect qualities of integrity and self-motivation, according to scholarship documents. The couple arranged to fund the scholarship with annual donations during their lifetime and created a bequest to endow the scholarship from their estate. Carl Geis died in 2006, and Ginny died in 2010. Senior Joe Balog is a recent scholarship recipient. At the latest scholarship reception, he said the award was a “gift of opportunity.”