Summer 2000

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Rose-Hulman has received a $1.3 million gift for scholarships from the estate of Charles Yohe, a 1951 Rose-Hulman graduate.

The gift totals $1,389,955 and will be used to increase the Charles and Barbara Hyatt Yohe Scholarship Endowment at Rose-Hulman to approximately $1.5 million.

At least ten new Yohe Scholarships will be awarded for the 2000-2001 academic year to Rose-Hulman junior or seniors, according to Darin Greggs, Rose-Hulman Director of Financial Aid. The maximum scholarship is $10,000 per student annually.

Charles Yohe was the retired owner of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken resturants located in Lima, Ohio. Charles and his wife were natives of Terre Haute.

After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering, Yohe worked for 15 years as an engineer for the Westinghouse Corp. He was employed in the small motors division and aviation engineering department at the company’s plant in Lima.

"He had strong beliefs and ties to people and organizations that contributed to his success," noted Yohe’s son, David of Lima.

"My father believed that Rose-Hulman provided him with a strong work ethic and prepared him morally as a young man to contribute to society, said Yohe, who serves as president at the company his father founded.

Charlie Yohe’s sister, Betty Poynter of Terre Haute, recalled that her brother valued the benefits of a college education.

"He worked very hard as a teenager. After returning from World War II, he knew that a college degree was vital if he wanted to get a good job," she said.

Yohe’s belief in a strong work ethic is illustrated in the scholarship requirements which stipulate that recipients must have good work experiences and the motivation for occupational success.

"Charlie cared a great deal about people," Poynter stated. "He always returned to Terre Haute for our family reunions at the bean dinner in Fontanet near Terre Haute where his aunt lived," she recalled.

"Rose-Hulman meant the world to Charlie," Poynter said.

Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert said the scholarships will help maintain Rose-Hulman’s excellent record of student retention.

"The Yohe scholarships will provide important financial aid to ensure that juniors and seniors can complete their education. Charlie and Barbara Yohe’s commitment to Rose-Hulman will have an impact on students for many generations."

Yohe was a member of the Rose-Hulman Chauncey Rose Society and served on the Rose-Hulman Commission on the Future.

The Yohe gift is the second major scholarship donation Rose-Hulman has received in the past four months. Obtaining additional scholarship funds is the top goal of the college’s $200 million Vision to be the Best fund-raising campaign.