Donor Spotlight Archives
- Sid and Reva Dewberry: Recognizing the Importance of Partnerships
- Genevieve and Hyman Feinstein: A Legacy of Learning
Sid and Reva Dewberry
Recognizing the Importance of Partnerships
A
thriving community always has a university at its heart. George Mason
is critical to the region. Each of us, as members of the community,
benefits from its growth and development.
—Sid Dewberry
Sid and Reva Dewberry’s philanthropic
commitment to Mason spans decades and demonstrates a deep understanding
of the impact of partnerships between the university and the community.
In 1996, an endowed chair in civil, environmental, and infrastructure
engineering was named in appreciation of Sid Dewberry’s
initiatives and keen interest in the education and development of
engineers at George Mason. The Dewberrys, along with many others,
helped fund the endowment.
In addition, the Dewberrys helped enrich life both in and out of the
classroom through a leadership gift to create Mason's first endowment
for student life and an endowed chair within the Volgenau School of Information
Technology and Engineering. In recognition, the George W.
Johnson Center’s multipurpose room has been named Sid and
Reva Dewberry Hall.
Sid Dewberry is a former rector of the George Mason University Board of
Visitors, former chair of the Mason Foundation, and a George Mason
medal recipient. He also served as chair of the university's first
comprehensive fundraising campaign, and most recently led a consortium
of donors who helped make Mason an "all-Steinway" university.
Genevieve and Hyman Feinstein
A Legacy of Learning
Hyman Feinstein was a respected Mason chemistry professor remembered by many of his students as an extraordinary, larger than life figure during the institution’s early days. His wife, Genevieve Grotjan Feinstein—who taught mathematics at Mason briefly—was a World War II cryptanalyst whose modesty belied her significance in history as a Japanese code breaker. Their devotion to Mason was strong and enduring.
The Ellis F. Feinstein Scholarship Endowment was established in memory of the Feinsteins' son thanks to a major bequest from the estate of Genevieve Feinstein. The bequest is the largest cash gift ever from a former faculty member.
Jim
and Ruth McKay
Committed to the Community
“The
Fairfax community has been and continues to be enriched by the
involvement and the many contributions of Jim McKay. His life ended,
but his legacy never will.”
—dedicatory tribute
The legacy of James “Smilin’ Jim” McKay
includes a long history of community service and generous support of
the university.
Several years before his death, he and his wife, Ruth, established a
trust to fund three major endowments at George Mason to support
scholarships for disadvantaged students and student-athletes, as well
as support the needs of aquatic programs on the Fairfax Campus. In
recognition, the Aquatic and Fitness Center’s competition
pool has been named Jim McKay Natatorium.
The tradition of support established by Jim McKay, a longtime friend of
the George Mason University Patriot
Club, is carried on by Ruth McKay and the McKay family.