Harry T. and Donovan Black Scholarship

When Donovan Black entered Miami University as a freshman, he didn’t get much help. The first in his family to go to college, he couldn’t call on his parents to help him navigate the admission process – they knew less about it than he did. And as for funds to pay his tuition, Donovan did whatever he had to do.

“I bused tables, I peddled cleaning,” he says today. “It was a struggle. I established my scholarship fund so that others who wanted an education would have the means to attend, without  the stress of financial constraints. I based it on what I felt would have helped me when I was a student at Miami.”

Now retired from Xerox Corporation and living in Southern California, Donovan has included Miami in his current giving of more than $100,000. He and his late father established a scholarship, and through his estate planning, Donovan will contribute a good portion of his estate to add to the Harry T. and Donovan Black Scholarship, which supports students who wish to study at the Miami University Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg.

“My daughter studied abroad while she was in college,” Donovan said. “It really helped her to grow to be the fine woman she is today. I designated my scholarship to MUDEC because of that, and visits to the Luxembourg Center. Getting to know and respect the Dean of the School, Dr. Ekkehard Stiller, and witness the incredible experience that a student is exposed to, caused me want to make this available to Miami students that financially would not have had this opportunity otherwise.  I also felt that I didn’t get the full experience of being in college – I worked a lot, and struggled to make ends meet. I want the students who benefit from the scholarship to have a more well-rounded experience than I did.”

Donovan also felt it was important not to base eligibility for the Black Scholarship singularly on grades. “Grades are only one part of the college experience,” he said. “I didn’t want grades to determine who received the funding. I think financial need and community service are also very important.”

Although Donovan, who is originally from Zanesville, Ohio, did not have the time or the money to join a fraternity during his Miami days, he was an active member of the Naval ROTC. In fact, he ultimately was commissioned and received a B.S. in Naval Science from Miami, making him one of the few people outside the Naval Academy to hold that degree in 1955.

“The NROTC really was my fraternity,” he said. “The camaraderie and connection I got from it was invaluable.”

Donovan now supports the Marine Corps Heritage Museum, in part to honor his stepson, a US Marine who recently served a tour in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star w/”V” for meritorious service.

Donovan speaks of his Miami experience in much the same way some people speak of service in the military: “The experience had a profound influence on my core values, personal beliefs and character,” he said. “That influence still guides my actions to this day.”