Martin Jischke on increasing diversity

Martin C. Jischke, who served as chancellor at UMR between 1986 and 1991, describes the importance of African-American alumni as well as the role of Lawrence and Katherine George in the recruitment and retention of African-American students.

Audio transcript

So, when I came it was obvious we weren’t doing very well in terms of enrollment of minority students or faculty. And I met with them and they told me the story and had . . . their great credit, they were willing to give it another go. And they became the basis for sort of building a deeper commitment to a growing enrollment dealing with issues of climate and so on. And they became donors . . . . And these really admirable men . . . and in a funny way, I mean it’s an interesting life lesson, that the environment they had at Rolla was really tough, it was challenging and . . . God Bless Lawrence and God Bless Catherine, provided a kind of home away from home in that tough environment and that love from the Georges, built in these guys, I think both real strength and tenacity and persistence, and also, oddly, an affection for the place. It would be easy to rationalize that once they got their degrees, it was goodbye forever. But that isn’t what happened. I mean, they really were committed to continuing to help and make a difference, and they did, they did. It partly signaled to the whole campus that the leadership of the campus was serious about these kinds of issues.

Share This Story

Spark a Memory?

Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).

Football, a history

Football, a history

The first game in Miner football history was played on Nov. 20, 1893, and the first Miner touchdown wasn’t scored…

Rebecca and Joe Hawkes-Cates

Rebecca and Joe Hawkes-Cates

Rebecca and Joe Hawkes-Cates met in 2009 while volunteering at a Miner football game. “We handed out fruit and water…

Building a legacy of mechanical engineering

Building a legacy of mechanical engineering

A registered professional engineer, John Toomey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering in 1949 and 1951, founded…

Hycintia Subash and Vincent Allen

Hycintia Subash and Vincent Allen

When Hycintia Subash and Vincent Allen were seated next to each other at an etiquette dinner in March 2014, neither…

Using glass to treat cancer

Using glass to treat cancer

An expert in developing specialty glasses for use in health care, transportation infrastructure and other applications, Delbert Day is known…

James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger

James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger

James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger went to school together at Valle High School in 1960, but it wasn’t until…