Retired Fort Hays State University professor, Ed Stehno, has pledged $1 million for athletic scholarships to the FHSU Foundation.
During a news conference last week announcing the gift, Dr. Edward Hammond, FHSU president, spoke about the relationship between FHSU and Stehno.
“Ed Stehno began teaching at FHSU in September 1971 and retired in May 2004 as a full professor in the Department of Education Administration and Counseling,” Hammond said, in a release. “He is a true professional in all the very best meanings of that word, and he helped shape the careers of many teachers and administrators. But the relationship goes much deeper than just the professional dimension. Ed and Donna (his wife) have been part of the Fort Hays State family for decades.”
When choosing who should receive the gift, Stehno and Donna considered many factors, “We have always believed in giving and had a goal of giving a large gift to a worthwhile organization. There were four factors that we considered for choosing that organization. Number one, the organization would not waste our investment and the gift would be spent wisely. Number two, the organization would possess quality. It would be one we could be proud of and want to be associated with. Number three, the organization would not be stagnant. It would be on the move. And number four, the organization would be involved with youth since both of us worked with young individuals our whole lives. Donna was a school nurse, and I worked in education,” Stehno said.
According to the release, Stehno said “FHSU emerged at the top of the list especially because he and Donna wanted to assist young people. Accordingly, the majority of the gift from the Stehnos will be used for scholarships.”
Ed and Donna Stehno also served as national co-chairs of the Cornerstone Campaign, which was the largest capital campaign in the history of FHSU. The campaign goal was to raise $60 million, but at the end of the campaign in June last year, that number had been significantly surpassed.
The campaign raised almost $69 million.
“Ed and Donna provided inspirational leadership in the Cornerstone Campaign,” Hammond said. “Now they are stepping up to help the athletic program and our students.”
The Foundation is independent of FHSU functioning as a non-profit corporation designated by the state to receive gifts on behalf of FHSU.
According to the release anyone interested in contributing to Fort Hays State may contact the foundation at 785-628-5620.