Couple’s Appreciation for Whitman Education and Love of Orange Athletics Prompts Giving Through Whitman Leadership Circle

While Tim Nelson ’72 and Rosemarie Nelson ’90 have long cheered for Orange athletics, they are also cheering for the success of the students at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management through their generosity as part of the newly established Whitman Leadership Circle.

Tim found his way to Syracuse University while serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He saw an announcement that said any soldier willing to extend a tour for two to four months would be eligible for free college tuition upon completion of service. Tim saw this as an exciting opportunity and decided to write to Syracuse University to inquire about enrollment.

“I have always been amazed at the effort Syracuse University made to make it possible for me to attend,” he says. “In 1969, you didn’t really have a return address in Vietnam, so it was hard for them to correspond with me, but they did!”

After completing his military service, Tim headed to Syracuse to study what was then a brand new major, management data systems, at the School of Management, with his tuition completely covered by the U.S. military. “Once I got to the campus, you couldn’t knock the smile off of my face,” he says.

Rosemarie was a non-traditional student who was working for Key Bank, which offered tuition for employees interested in taking business classes. She started at nearby Onondaga Community College, where she earned an associate degree in 1979 in business and banking. Eventually, she enrolled at Syracuse’s School of Management to earn a bachelor’s degree in information systems, and later earned a master’s degree in health services administration from the New School of Social Research. Her employers paid for her entire education.

While both attended Syracuse University, they actually met at Key Bank, where Tim was helping automate the bank, and Rosemarie was working as an automatic services supervisor. The rest is Orange history, as they married and collected so many memories revolving around their love of Syracuse sports. Some of their favorite highlights include attending the first football game at the newly built Carrier Dome in 1980, going to the NCAA National Championship games, and making many friends as season ticket holders for decades.

But, it hasn’t been just the sports teams that have kept them loyal to Syracuse. Both always felt fortunate for the educational opportunities they received at the Whitman School. So, when they heard about the Whitman Retention Scholarship and its aim to ensure that academically excellent students stay at Whitman, particularly after their first year, the Nelsons were all in with their support.

“The Whitman Retention Scholarship is just good business sense,” says Tim, “and Whitman knows it’s easier to keep a customer, or in this case a talented student, than it is to find a new one.”

This is not the first time the Nelsons have given to the Whitman School, however. In fact, they contributed to the Higher Ground Campaign to fund the construction of the Whitman School of Management building, which opened its doors in 2005. The Nelsons have also supported the University with gifts for the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, the Veteran Legacy Fund, the Barnes Center at The Arch, the Syracuse University Annual Fund and many other important student-facing initiatives and programs across campus. In addition to being a part of the inaugural cohort of the Whitman Leadership Circle, they are members of the University’s other leadership recognition societies: The Hill Society, the Legends Society and the 1870 Society.

Rosemarie was also a member of the Management Alumni Association; has been a guest speaker on campus and sponsored Syracuse students as interns.

Tim retired as a processing manager for Key Bank, and Rosemarie retired as a principal consultant for Medical Group Management Association Health Care Consulting Group. Both credit their education for helping them find successful careers.

“We’ve built great memories at Syracuse both through our excellent education and the many friends and experiences we’ve enjoyed by being part of the Orange family,” says Rosemarie. “We were fortunate to have the opportunity to attend Syracuse University and the Whitman School without any financial burden, and, in turn, we are honored to be able to help others have the same chance.”

By Caroline K. Reff