McNeese Receives Donation From Past President’s Granddaughter & Husband

March 15th, 2019

McNeese Receives Donation From Past President’s Granddaughter & Husband

Richard H. Reid, vice president for university advancement and executive vice president of the foundation, Dr. Matthew Aghili, associate dean of the McNeese College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Karen and Ken Chamberlain. Karen’s grandfather is the late Dr. Thomas S. Leary, McNeese’s third president whose portrait is in the background.

Karen and Ken Chamberlain have donated $75,000 to establish the Karen and Ken Chamberlain Scholarship for students of all majors and add funds to the Dr. Thomas S. Leary Past President Engineering Scholarship through the McNeese State University Foundation.

Karen, a management graduate of McNeese, is the granddaughter of McNeese’s third president – the late Dr. Thomas S. Leary.

Leary joined the McNeese faculty in 1961 and served as an assistant professor in the department of physical science, head of the new engineering department and president until his retirement in July 1980. He served 19 years at McNeese, including 11 years as president.

Under his leadership, several new buildings were completed on campus, the library was expanded and in 1970 McNeese State College became McNeese State University.

Donations can be made to the Foundation by going online at www.mcneesefoundation.org/give or calling 337-475-5588.