Koles establish seventh endowment at ISU
Longtime friends of Idaho State University Peter C. and Nancy Kole have established their seventh endowment at the University, the Peter C. Kole-William H. McGuffey Endowment.
Peter C. and Nancy Kole
The endowment will fund the Kole–McGuffey Prize, which will be awarded to graduate students in the College of Education to support a one-year research project. The prize, expected to exceed $10,000 annually, will go to a student whose thesis or research project explores a concept revolutionary to the delivery of education.
Benefactor Peter C. Kole said, "I want to find the next William H. McGuffey and provide that student with a catalyst to bring his/her educational concepts to fruition."
The Koles were inspired to make their gift after learning of a similar endowment at Nancy's alma mater, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where McGuffey taught and created the McGuffey Reading System. Both Koles have a keen interest in education and wished to do something that might one day have a profoundly positive impact on public education.
The endowment bears McGuffey's name in honor of what he achieved in teaching reading and valuable life skills with the McGuffey Readers. Developed prior to the Civil War, the McGuffey Readers became standard textbooks in most states and are still sold and used today.
"The Kole-McGuffey Prize is a unique opportunity for a graduate student in the College of Education to be supported in conducting groundbreaking research related to education," said Dr. Larry Harris, dean of the ISU College of Education. "This prize will become highly coveted by students as they pursue their research interests. The College of Education is very appreciative of the support provided by Mr. and Mrs. Kole for furthering the work of students in the College."
Peter and Nancy Kole reside in Cleveland, Ohio. Peter, who immigrated to the United States from Albania as an infant, graduated from the ISU College of Business in 1963. After graduating and working for Republic Steel for a few years, he went into business for himself. He has since built a small metal stamping shop into one of the "big four" companies supplying metal seat frames for the automobile industry, Paramount Metal Products, of which he is still president and CEO.
Kole was the1998 ISU Distinguished Alumnus and received the 2003 ISU honorary doctorate of humane letters, honoring him for his humanitarian efforts in the United States and Albania.
Nancy Kole taught in the public schools for more than 30 years and continues to volunteer and raise funds for public education and her community. The couple has supported many scholarship endowments in the ISU Colleges of Business and Education, at Miami University and Clark University. The various Kole scholarships extend support to students in good standing who are single parents or the children of single parents.
The $10,000 Kole-McGuffey Prize is available for 2004. Applications are being accepted though the dean's office in the ISU College of Education. Anyone interested in applying should contact Dr. Deborah Hedeen at 208-282-4143.