Endowments
Athletics Annual Support
When you support an athletics program, you empower student-athletes people to make the most of their academic and athletic experience. Gifts to an annual sports fund provide sports equipment, team travel, performance nutrition, and academic necessities for our 390 student-athletes as they compete for national championships. By supporting one of our 15 athletics programs, you will have a direct impact on our student-athletes and the annual needs in the year the gift is given.
Giving ClubsOur giving clubs provide you the opportunity to make a direct impact on your favorite program while feeling like part of the team.
Payroll Deduction/EFT
Not only can SIU employees make monthly gifts via payroll deduction, but a lot of companies provide this opportunity as well. SIU employees can make monthly gifts via payroll deduction. Speak with your employer’s HR department today and ask about how a donation to SIU athletics can come directly out of your paycheck.
SIU Day of Giving
SIU Day of Giving is the annual giving day for Southern Illinois University. This 24-hour campaign is a university-wide effort to inspire alumni, students, parents, friends, and the larger community to make a gift to any area of campus. The goal is to bring the entire community together so we can all help this effort by sharing, following and financially supporting SIU. The theme is "Give the gift of experience."
Athletics Endowments
The principal of an endowment fund is invested by the SIU Foundation and a portion of the return will provide annual support for its designated purpose. The benefit of an endowment fund is that it establishes a legacy with Saluki Athletics and ensures the principal gift remains inviolate and invested- allowing it to grow and give indefinitely.
Scholarship Endowments
Each year, SIU Athletics funds more than $5 million in scholarships to support our student-athletes. A portion of these scholarships is endowed through the generosity of our loyal supporters. Investing in a scholarship endowment cements your legacy with Saluki Athletics and offers immeasurable returns by providing a lasting stream of annual income to benefit educational and athletic support for our student-athletes.
- $100,000+ - Establish a new scholarship endowment
- $730,000+ - Establish a fully endowed scholarship (Tuition, Fees, Room & Board, Books & Supplies, and Living Expenses)
Program Endowments
Program endowments help to ensure a sport’s unique place at SIU and the impact it has on our student-athletes’ experiences as they compete at the highest academic and athletic levels. A pledge of $25,000 or more will establish a program endowment for one of our 15 athletics programs. With your generosity, we can rely on the annual income in perpetuity to support our student-athletes now and in the future.
Head Coach Endowments
As we look to build the next generation of leaders, we want to ensure consistency and sustainability within our programs by endowing our athletics coaching positions. While we strive to be a destination for the most exceptional student-athletes, we must also recruit and retain the best coaches to lead to these young people as they compete for championships and earn their SIU degrees. Your commitment to supporting our coaches will build programmatic sustainability and continue SIU’s tradition of excellence.
The Chancellor Carlo Montemagno Excellence Scholarship
SIU has established an endowed scholarship in honor of Chancellor Carlo D. Montemagno. This endowment allows the scholarship to be awarded in perpetuity.
Dr. Carlo Montemagno was a visionary with over three decades of experience in shepherding complex organizations both inside and outside academia. He supported the vision that the fields of science technology and medicine should not define the universe of collaborative engagement and believed that societal and artistic advancement played a central role in establishing a culture of inquiry that defines a great research university.
Dr. Montemagno joined SIU as its 20th chancellor in August 2017. He created a roadmap to secure the university’s future; earned the respect and commitment of faculty staff students alumni and community members; and was an unwavering proponent of the university’s mission.
An internationally recognized expert in nanotechnology and bioengineering, Dr. Montemagno was awarded the Feynman Prize for Experimental Work in Nanotechnology in 2003 for his work in the “Integration of Biological Molecular Motors with Silicon Devices.” He was also the winner of the 2012 Bill & Melinda Gates Grand Challenges Explorations. His research programs resulted in at least 45 patents.
The Banterra Scholarship
The Banterra-SIU Scholarship Fund was established in 2019 as part of the Banterra Center partnership agreement. Banterra Bank provides a minimum of $50,000 annually to the scholarship, which is funded by a portion of the profits from Banterra-Saluki VISA Debit Card transactions. Click here to learn more about how the Banterra Saluki Debit Card supports SIU Athletics!
Ruth Berry and Thomas A. Newton Athletic Scholarship
Ruth Berry graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1932 with a bachelor's degree in Education and Human service. Thomas A. Newton played football for SIU from 1926-1929 and received a bachelor's degree in Education and Human Services. Thomas is known for his good judgment, enthusiasm, and his determination to fight for the school throughout his life. In November 1975, Ruth Berry passed away and in May 1989, Thomas passed away; both Ruth and Thomas were lifetime supporters of Saluki Athletics.
Harry Bobbitt Spirit Award
Harry Bobbitt was a defensive back for the Salukis from 1961-63 who tragically died the year before his senior season. He was a Carbondale native and served as one of the three team captains for the Saluki football team. He was an outstanding athlete and an enthusiastic player. His No. 23 jersey is retired.
Boydston Legacy Athletic Scholarship
After working as a professor in health education at the University of Mississippi, Donald “Doc” Boydston came to SIU in 1955 to establish SIU’s department of health education. Boydston guided the University's nationally recognized health education department for 33 years, along with the department's graduate program. In 1957, Boydston became the Athletic Director and helped transform Saluki Athletics from small-college status into a Division I program. Among his many accomplishments, Boydston was on the planning committee for SIU Arena, which opened in 1964. During the fifteen-year Boydston era, SIU won twelve national championships in six different men's sports and thirteen teams finished as runner-ups for national titles. In 2010, the spectacular 50,000-square foot facility that houses the Saluki football and basketball teams opened and was named in honor of former Athletic Director Donald N. "Doc" Boydston.
Seymour Bryson Men's Basketball Scholarship
A basketball scholarship brought Seymour Bryson to Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1955. Bryson was an All-Conference selection and the team's MVP for all four years that he competed. He set a then school-record for career points with 1,535 and his total of 1,244 career rebounds may never be surpassed at SIU. Seymour earned his Ph.D. from Southern and later served as Associate Chancellor for diversity. As Associate Chancellor, Bryson oversaw affirmative action, the Center for Academic Success, the Career Preparation Program, Upward Bound, Future Scholars, Student Support Services, Head Start Program, Black Resource Center, Office of Diversity and Equity and University Women’s Professional Advancement. Numerous awards and honors recognize Bryson’s contributions, including his induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Quincy High School Hall of Fame and SIU’s Hall of Fame.
Bill and Rose Cornell Endowed Scholarship Fund
Bill Cornell, a 1965 SIU graduate from Chelmsford, England, was an accomplished competitor before he arrived in Carbondale, as he set a world record in the mile for his age group as a 17 year old. Bill came to Southern Illinois from England with his wife, Rose, in 1961 with a track scholarship. During his time at SIU, Cornell was a three-time All-American and a two-time NCAA runner-up. In 1980, he was inducted into SIU's Sports Hall of Fame.
After graduating in 1965, Cornell earned his master's degree and began his coaching career in 1967 as the head track and cross country coach at Murray State University. In his 15 years at Murray State, Cornell guided the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference cross country titles and won OVC Coach of the Year four times. In 1982, Cornell returned to his alma mater to take over as the head men's track and field and cross country coach. The SIU cross country team won its first of five MVC titles under Cornell that fall. In track and field, the Salukis won eight MVC titles both indoors and outdoors, and had a six-year stretch from 1987-92 in which Southern won at least one conference title each year. During his 33 years as a head coach, Cornell mentored a total of 11 Olympians, 49 All-Americans and four NCAA Champions.
SIU Diane Daugherty Women's Golf Team Scholarship
Southern Illinois University former women's golf head coach Diane Daugherty has recorded many achievements throughout her golf career, and brought that success to SIU. The 1993, 2004 and 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year guided the Salukis to MVC Championships in 1998, 2000 and 2007, and second-place finishes in five MVC Tournaments. The 1978 Stephens College product won the 1981 Missouri State Amateur before turning pro in the fall of 1983. In 1985, she was a top-10 money winner on the Futures Tour, but her professional career was cut short by knee problems. Daugherty played four years of golf and basketball at Stephens before she began coaching volleyball and softball there. In 1980, she received her master's in sports psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Outside of golf, Daugherty serves as President of the Board of Directors for St. Francis CARE Animal Shelter.
Virginia Gordon Scholarship-Athlete Award
Virginia Gordon was a highly gifted and much beloved four-sport SIU student-athlete from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She lettered in basketball, field hockey, softball and volleyball in each of her four years at SIU from 1965-1969. She led the basketball team to two state tournament championships and was on the National Invitational Collegiate Women's Basketball Tournaments all-star team in 1969. In her top sport, volleyball, she paced the 1967 team to an undefeated regular season record. She played for the "Topeka Teamsterettes" girls’ softball team after graduation from 1969-71. After a tragic battle with cancer, she died in 1974. Women's Intercollegiate Athletics named its outstanding female athlete of the year award in Virginia's honor beginning in 1976.
Charles and Ruth Helleny Scholarship
This fund was established on behalf of Charles Helleny and Sharon Ruth Helleny, SIU graduates from the College of Business and Administration and the College of Education, respectively. Charles is a strong supporter of Southern Illinois University sports and WSIU-TV8. He graduated from SIU with a degree in business administration in 1954. In 1957, Helleny began his career as a bookkeeper at Herrin Security Bank during the bank’s first year of operation. During his tenure at Herrin Security Bank, Helleny worked as a teller, assistant cashier, loan officer, cashier and executive vice president. In 1975, he became the director of Herrin Security Bank and in 2001 was named president and chief executive. In 2018, SIU Athletics named the pavilion in SIU Arena the Charles Helleny Pavilion. Additionally, the first Division I home men’s basketball game has been named the Charles Helleny Tip-Off Classic.
Herrin Security Bank Athletic Scholarship
This fund was established on behalf of Charles Helleny and Sharon Ruth Helleny, SIU graduates from the College of Business and Administration and the College of Education, respectively. Charles is a strong supporter of Southern Illinois University sports and WSIU-TV8. He graduated from SIU with a degree in business administration in 1954. In 1957, Helleny began his career as a bookkeeper at Herrin Security Bank during the bank’s first year of operation. During his tenure at Herrin Security Bank, Helleny worked as a teller, assistant cashier, loan officer, cashier and executive vice president. In 1975, he became the director of Herrin Security Bank and in 2001 was named president and chief executive. In 2018, SIU Athletics named the pavilion in SIU Arena the Charles Helleny Pavilion. Additionally, the first Division I home men’s basketball game has been named the Charles Helleny Tip-Off Classic.
Julius A. and Norma H. Johnson Athletic Scholarship
Julius Johnson was a St. Louis, Missouri native who earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from SIU in 1975. As a member of the 1956 and 1957 SIU gymnastics team, Julius was a stellar performer especially on the parallel bars. After receiving his degree, he served in the Army before earning his law degree from Howard University in 1963. Julius and Norma were married in June 1964. Julius worked as public defender, law school lecturer, and assistant U.S. attorney before his appointment as administrative judge for the Department of Labor in 1976. He was honored in 1997 as an SIU Distinguished Alumni. Norma Johnson was a Lake Charles, La. native, who was the first African-American women appointed as the U.S. District Court Chief Judge. Julius passed away in 2010, and Norma in 2011. Their legacy continues to this very day.
Wrophas and Dianne Meeks Athletic Scholarship
Dianne Meeks is the co-founder of One Village, an organization that provides arts and literature workshops for young people. She is also the Assistant Coordinator of the Career Preparation Program at Southern Illinois University. Ms. Meeks currently serves on SIU-C Foundation Board of Directors and several other community organizations in southern Illinois. She is a former board member of the Illinois Humanities Council.
James J. Mundo Baseball Memorial Award
James Mundo was a local businessman and a big Saluki baseball fan. He and his friends went to every Saluki home game and to the Baseball World Series in 1977 to follow their Salukis. "Mundo" was a Vietnam War veteran who died in 1983 at the young age of 33 from heart failure. His friends endowed a scholarship in his honor to be awarded each year to the player who best exhibits the hustle and the hard work necessary to be a better team player.
William "Bill" and LaVerne O'Brien Football Scholarship
William “Bill” O'Brien came to SIU from nearby Ziegler, Ill., to be a student-athlete and he wound up leaving a very large imprint on the world around him. He would not stay at the university for long, as World War II compelled him to join the Marines to fight for his country. He would later serve in the Korean War as a Colonel. Upon returning from war in 1946, O'Brien continued his education at SIU. He lettered in football and baseball and earned his recreation degree. He was an assistant baseball, basketball and football coach at Southern before being named head coach of the football program in 1952. O'Brien later became a college football official, but he didn't forget the university that educated him. He frequently volunteered his time as an official for SIU intrasquad games. In his 17 years as an NFL official, O'Brien became an elite one. He officiated Super Bowl X, three Pro Bowls and the first NFL game in London. O'Brien also played an integral role in the formation of SIU's Little Grassy campus, now known as Touch of Nature. He, along with Bill Freeberg, was a pioneer in programs for the disabled. O'Brien was involved in the planning stages of the campus and its camp that allowed disabled children to have the full camp experience.
Richard and Margaret Pisoni Scholarship
Richard and Margaret Pisoni were both born and raised in Herrin. They were grade school sweethearts and were married in 1959. Richard attended Southern Illinois University and obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois. Richard followed his father, Tony, in the insurance business, developing a successful insurance office and real estate office.
Robert Richter Scholarship
Robert Richter is a 1967 Southern Illinois University graduate with a bachelor's degree in Management. While attending SIU, Robert also played on the baseball team. He was a member of the SIU Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2003-2006. He was elected to the college of Business Hall of Fame in 1990 and is a lifetime member of SIU Alumni Association. He began work with the Illinois Central Railroad in 1967 for which he held various positions in the Labor Relations Department, including serving as a Vice President before leaving in 1991. He is an independent contractor working as a Laborer Arbitrator for the National Mediator's Board Association of Railroad Referees. In 2005, Mr. Richter established the Robert Richter Scholarship Endowment Fund. He resides in both Scottsdale, Ariz., and Chicago and remains an avid supporter of Saluki Athletics, especially baseball.
James M. Rosser Scholar-Athlete Scholarship
Dr. James M. Rosser is a three-degree alumnus of SIU (B.A. 1962, M.A. 1963, Ph.D. 1969). During his distinguished career in higher education, Rosser served as president of California State University, Los Angeles, from 1979 to 2013, and was named president emeritus in 2013. Prior to becoming president at Cal State Los Angeles, he was the vice chancellor of the Department of Education of the State of New Jersey. Earlier he served on the faculty at Southern Illinois University and founded the SIU Black American Studies program in 1968. Rosser was a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award in 1982, the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2003.
Saluki Booster Club Athletic Scholarship
The Saluki Booster Club Athletic Scholarship was created on July 20, 1994 and the club's intent was to benefit the student-athletes at Southern Illinois University. The club was mainly a social club to encourage members to support Saluki Athletics and promote attendance at various athletic events. In addition to raising money to found this scholarship, the Booster Club gave money to benefit student-athletes by underwriting sports banquets, buying equipment for the weight room and making other special donations to the athletic department.
Silkworm Saluki Futures Scholarship
The Silkworm Saluki Futures Scholarship Fund was created on February 3, 1998 by a local company called Silkworm, Inc., and was established during the Saluki Futures Capital Campaign. The company began as a simple "class project" between two high school friends printing t-shirts in a basement with a used manual press and has evolved into a multi-million dollar full-service promotional company in the heart of Southern Illinois. Silkworm, Inc., now located in a 32,000 square foot facility and equipped with state-of-the art presses, machinery and 65 dedicated team members, is the region's leader in custom graphic design, promotional products, embroidered apparel, banners, signage, awards, and of course, printed t-shirts.
Katy Simonds Women's Basketball Excellence Scholarship
Emma K. (Katy) Simonds, a long-time support of SIU, established this fund in recognition of the efforts of former Chancellor Walter V. Wendler. Chancellor Wendler helped develop a long-range vision and plan for SIU to become a top-75 national research institution. Through the leadership of Chancellor Wendler, more than 200 alumni, donors, friends, community leaders, faculty, staff and students developed Southern at 150: Building Excellence through Commitment as the road map to bring recognition and prominence to the traditions, values, and excellence of SIU. A loyal fan and supporter of Saluki women's basketball, this fund acknowledges the long-standing support of Katy and the Simonds family as well as underscoring the important role that Intercollegiate Athletics plays in shaping a first-rate institution.
Roger Spear Baseball Memorial Fund
Roger E. Spear attended Carbondale Community High School and played football and basketball there while also playing baseball for the Carbondale Merchant League. Spear enrolled at Southern Illinois University and participated in football, basketball and baseball. Spear's education and his baseball professional dream were interrupted by World War II. He served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater and returned to Carbondale to graduate from SIU in 1948. Spear became a teacher, coach and eventually athletic director at Anna-Jonesboro. He eventually moved back to Carbondale in 1952 and raised his family here, serving as SIU Alumni Association President and on the SIU Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Spear was a loyal SIU athletic supporter who passed away suddenly in 1990. The SIU baseball batting cages and this endowed scholarship were given in his memory by his wife Eileen.
Emma and Earl Tally Scholarship
Earl attended elementary school in Mound City and graduated from Mounds Township High School in 1936. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8891 in Mounds. He was employed for many years at Southern Illinois University and retired as a Disbursements Officer in 1981. He was a very active member of the First United Methodist Church in Carbondale.
Jane Tally Phelps Athletic Scholarship
Jane graduated from SIU with a bachelor's degree. She taught kindergarten for six years before joining her husband in his orthodontic practice. Jane worked side by side with her husband, Dr. John Phelps as an orthodontic assistant for 30 years. She was also a member of P. E. O.; Beta Sigma Phi; Alpha Gamma Delta; and the Carbondale Community High School Foundation where she served as secretary. Jane was a committed community volunteer with a love for teaching others. She was an avid sports fan enthusiastically cheering on the Salukis, St. Louis Cardinals and Rams. Jane had an interest in all the arts, especially quilting. She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.
Jo Anne Thorpe Women's Volleyball Scholarship
Dr. Thorpe was the longest tenured volleyball coach in SIU history and served 16 years in that capacity from 1958-74. Thorpe had a distinguished career as a coach, administrator and national sports leader. She led SIU's volleyball team to a 97-38-1 record and the program's first appearance at nationals in 1969. She was a 1983 SIU Hall of Fame inductee and served many years as the Chair of the Department of Physical Education for Women and special assistant to the president.
Treash Family Men's Golf Scholarship
The scholarship was founded by former SIU golfer Robert Treash. The Treash family are avid golfers and now have three generations currently participating, Robert Sr., Robert Jr., and Robert's son Zach.
Kenny and Lisa Troutt Scholarship for Athletics
Kenny Troutt played football at Southern Illinois University, after transferring from Eastern Illinois in 1966. During his time at SIU, Troutt met his longtime friend Pete Wittmann. The two met on McAndrew Stadium's football field and belonged to the Salukis' team in the late `60s. They went on to become roommates, fraternity brothers, incredibly successful business partners - and remain best friends today in Dallas. In the fall of 2005, the two welcomed the opening of the Troutt-Wittmann Academic Center. The center is a two-story, 10,000-square-foot addition to the north wing of Lingle Hall, which adjoins the SIU Arena. Today, Troutt is the CEO of Dallas-based Excel Communications, Inc. and the owner of WinStar Farm in Kentucky.
James "Boom Boom" Walker Memorial Scholarship
Dr. James Walker was the first African American to serve as president of the two-campus, 35,000-student Southern Illinois University system. Under Walker’s watch, Southern Illinois received millions of dollars in federal research grants involving coal, agriculture, biofuels, health care and education. Walker also oversaw various big-money construction projects, including the $40 million renovation of the Carbondale campus’ Morris Library and work toward the university’s $21 million Cancer Institute planned in Springfield. During Walker’s tenure at Southern Illinois, private contributions to the university’s foundation rose by 30 percent.
Keith Wendland Basketball Scholarship
Keith Wendland received his bachelor of science degree in finance from Southern Illinois University in 1971 and earned his MBA from Roosevelt University in 1980. He was assistant comptroller in Franklin Park from May 1971 to June 1973 before becoming city accountant and assistant finance director of Wood Dale. Wendland later worked as finance director of Hoffman Estates from 1974 until his move to Schaumburg in 1984. In 2004 Wendland passed away and his legacy and support of Saluki Athletics continues to this day.
Charlotte West Scholarship
Retired Saluki Athletic Director Dr. Charlotte West was inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame on March 4, 2005. West served as a coach, faculty member and an administrator during her 42-year tenure. Dr. West began her service to SIU in 1957 as a coach and instructor in the department of physical education. In 1973, she became a full professor and developed SIU's graduate program in sports management, which she directed until June 1991. From 1960 to 1986, Dr. West was Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and led the transformation of the department from meager beginnings into a nationally recognized program with a budget of more than $1 million for 11 sports. After the 1986 merger of the men's and women's athletics departments, she served as Associate Athletic Director. Dr. West earned regional and national acclaim for her work in the governance of intercollegiate athletics, including president of the American Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, first woman member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and a five-year stint on the NCAA Council.
Shirley West Davis Endowed Award
Shirley West Davis, a former SIU field hockey student-athlete, graduated in the 1940s. After graduation, she became a professional educator and worked in several offices and schools in Union County, Illinois. Always a big fan of Saluki athletics, Shirley served as the Dean of Women and physical Education instructor at Anna High School from the 1960-1980s. She played a key role in creating the girl's sport program at Anna-Jonesboro and had a successful coaching career in basketball, volleyball, track, and softball. Her efforts created opportunities for hundreds of young women to enjoy sports and learn life lessons by participating in interscholastic athletics.
William Wittmann Scholarship for Athletics
This fund was established by Thomas Pete Wittmann and Elaine Wittmann in honor of Pete's father, William Wittmann. In recognition of his support and appreciation for SIU and SIU Athletics, Pete, a former student-athlete, contributed money to assist current and future student athletes. Through his generosity, a new academic and training facility was constructed, along with this scholarship and graduate assistantship endowment.
The Rick Walker Endowed Scholarship
Coach Walker joined the Salukis in 1987 and became the head coach of the men's team in 1992. In 2005, he became the head coach of both Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving. In his 26 seasons as head coach, Walker coached 237 athletes to individual and relay conference titles and an additional 209 athletes to all-conference honors. Under his direction, the men's team won five-straight MVC titles from 1994-1999, the longest streak in conference history. Three more MVC titles followed in a six-year stretch from 1999-2004 with the men's team. His most recent championship came in 2016, when he coached the women's team to a Valley title by .5 points over Missouri State.