The Korte Company recently established the Ralph Korte Endowment Scholarship for students entering into the Construction Management program at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. The award is designed to assist those interested in the construction field who otherwise would have difficulty obtaining a degree.
The scholarship also honors Ralph Korte, who founded The Korte Company in 1958, and is retiring after 50 years of service. According to daughter and Controller at The Korte Company Susan Bowman, “He has always been a big proponent of SIUE, in general, and education and construction, and giving back to the community. This is another way of giving back. This scholarship combines all of Ralph’s passions and is another way of giving back.”
Through the Ralph F. Korte Scholarship Endowment for Construction Management, interest earnings from the balance of the gift will be used to award a scholarship each year. The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition and provide students an opportunity to work toward obtaining a valuable degree and providing a competitive edge in the workforce.
Awards will be administered through the SIUE School of Engineering’s Construction Management program and the SIUE Foundation.
“Ultimately this scholarship is to be awarded first and foremost on the basis of need,” said Patrick Hundley, SIUE’s vice chancellor for University Relations. “Recipients of this award should exhibit need to the point of not being able to attend college without this award.” The scholarship was presented by Vaughn Vandegrift, Chancellor of SIUE, on October 23rd at The Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri during a 50th Anniversary Celebration for The Korte Company.
