January 30, 2012
Scholarship will benefit pre-veterinary students
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A scholarship endowment has been created to honor a man who practiced veterinary medicine for 40 years.
Students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale pursuing a degree in pre-veterinary medicine can apply for the Dr. and Mrs. Carl McDowell Case and Mr. and Mrs. Victor Le Gout Scholarship. Preference will be given to students who graduated from a high school in the Illinois counties of Lawrence, Richland, Crawford and Wabash. If no student qualifies from these counties, the award will be open to all applicants.
Recipients must attain at least junior status in the pre-veterinary track program, offered through the SIU Carbondale College of Science. They must have at least a 3.5 grade point average. Two $3,000 scholarships will be presented annually.
Catherine LeGout, a former beautician and resident of Sumner, initially decided to establish the endowment in honor of her late father, Carl Case. The award also includes the name of her late husband, Victor, who worked as a steam welder; and pays homage to the wives of both men.
“I became familiar with SIU Carbondale and its academic programs through WSIU-TV. It is a good school with a quality pre-veterinary program,” she says. “My father devoted his career to this field. It just seemed appropriate to have something at SIU in his name.”
Chancellor Rita Cheng expressed appreciation for the endowment on behalf of the University.
“We are honored that Mrs. LeGout selected our University for this very meaningful and very generous endowment,” Cheng said. “We are grateful for her confidence in our program and for her commitment to helping our students achieve their dreams.”
Jay C. Means, dean of the College of Science, says LeGout’s support will assist the University in recruiting quality students to its program.
“By establishing this scholarship fund, Mrs. LeGout is not only fostering support of deserving students in our pre-veterinary medicine program, she is honoring her parents and husband, which serves as a wonderful tribute to her loved ones. Veterinary school admissions are extremely competitive and scholarship support options are essential in attracting and keeping high-caliber students. Individuals like Mrs. LeGout make this possible. SIU Carbondale’s pre-veterinary medicine program will benefit greatly from her generosity.”
Jeff Lorber, associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement and executive director of development for the SIU Foundation, says: “This scholarship endowment is a wonderful gesture on behalf of Catherine LeGout. It serves as a fitting tribute to her family as these funds will support the educational endeavors of students who aspire to follow in Mr. Case’s footsteps. We are greatly appreciative of Mrs. LeGout’s desire to support pre-veterinary students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.”