Monique Hashey, Author at University of Maine Foundation

Senator Collins Speaks at Inaugural Patricia and Donald Collins Leadership Award Presentation at UMaine

Senator Susan Collins and Keegan Tripp. Photo: UMaine Marketing

Orono, ME – On April 18, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at the inaugural Patricia M. and Donald F. Collins Leadership Award ceremony at the University of Maine (UMaine). This endowed scholarship award was established in memory of Patricia and Donald Collins, both Class of 1949 graduates of UMaine, former mayors of the City of Caribou, and the parents of six children, including Senator Collins. Patricia Collins also served as the first female chair of the UMaine System Board of Trustees, the Catholic Charities of Maine Board of Directors, and the Catholic Foundation of Maine Board of Trustees. Donald Collins was a Bronze Star and two-time Purple Heart recipient as an infantry sergeant during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, and later served as a member of the Maine State House of Representatives and the Maine State Senate.

The inaugural recipient of the award is Keegan Tripp, a member of the University of Maine Class of 2026. Keegan is the President of the University of Maine Student Government, a board member of the University of Maine Alumni Association, and a recipient of the John M. Nickerson Scholarship for political science students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement. Keegan also interned at Senator Collins’ state office in Bangor.

“My parents believed deeply in the value of education, civic responsibility, and giving back to their community, and they exemplified those principles throughout their lives,” said Senator Collins. “It is incredibly meaningful to honor their legacy through this endowed scholarship. I know that they too would be proud of Keegan, whose leadership, character, and outstanding academic achievements made him an excellent candidate to be the first-ever recipient of this award.”

A Daughter’s Tribute

Elizabeth Taylor Evans ’44

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in the Fall 2003 issue of “Mainely People”. It was written by Cornelia Evans ’82. We are republishing the story to highlight the Lawrence and Elizabeth Taylor Evans Fund established by Laurence and Elizabeth. Cornelia has made a recent commitment to support the fund and shared this compelling tribute to her mother, Elizabeth as the motivation for her gift.

The time is 1948, the place, a crowded lecture hall at the University of Maine filled with young men only recently returned from the bloodiest of wars. These veterans in their twenties and thirties are eager to realize the American dream for which they fought so long and hard: building the future. With skills in finance, business law, and accounting, they will help create a new paradigm of power—one with an economic base.

Enter the new accounting professor: a five-foot-four, 25-year-old redhead dressed impeccably in a smart Lord and Taylor suit. The first woman ever to teach on the faculty of the department of business administration. Yes, she was nervous. But she was tough, and she was strict. She knew she had to be. Not because she was a woman in a room full of battle-worn men. Not because she was younger than most of them. But because she believed that she owed it to them. These men had served their country, and she would serve them. Her high expectations, educational training, and professional experience would ensure that they would be properly prepared to achieve the success they had put on hold for their country.

Bette Evans hadn’t planned on teaching when she graduated from the University of Maine in 1944. As one of the first women to graduate from the University with a degree in business administration, she was on a fast track within Price Waterhouse, one of the world’s largest accounting firms. She’d been one of only a handful of applicants chosen by the company to work in New York City with some of the firm’s largest clients. At 21, she was a trailblazer, living the life of a young professional woman.

She stayed on that track until 1947, when her mentor at Maine, Professor Haim Kershon, contacted her. It seemed scores of vets were going to college, and he didn’t have enough professors to fill the demand for business courses. Dr. Kershon turned to one of his best students for help.

My mother stepped off the corporate ladder and walked back into the classroom. Why? Because her alma mater needed her, her professor needed her and these young veterans needed her. Once she took that step she realized it was the right one. Teaching fulfilled her in ways she would otherwise never have discovered.

Throughout her life, Bette Evans defied convention through choices borne of ability and necessity. She paved the way for other women after her—both in the office and in the classroom. And she was, throughout her life, the best of role models, because she led by example.

Now that she is gone, I wonder where her courses may have led those students. What choices did they make with the skills she taught them? Did her example compel them to reconsider their expectations of women in the new workforce they were about to enter? From all that I know about my mother, I am sure that she challenged them just as she challenged me: never to underestimate anyone’s potential for excellence—especially one’s own.

Utilizing the Flexible Endowment Program at the University of Maine Foundation to Create a Family Legacy that Celebrates Education and Travel with Multiple Scholarships Honoring Admirable Women

Steve Norton and Abigail Daley

When Doris “Dot” Berry Norton died in 1995, her four children—Steve Norton (a member of the UMaine faculty since 1968), Abigail Norton Daley, David Norton, and Robert Norton—wanted to do something special to honor her memory. Dot had graduated from Radcliffe College with a bachelor’s degree in French. She strongly believed in the transformative power of education and travel. She spent a post-Radcliffe year studying at the Sorbonne University in Paris. She encouraged and provided all her children with the opportunity for post-secondary education on a 4th-grade, newly minted teacher’s salary as a single parent.

Her children concluded that creating a named, permanently endowed scholarship fund that would enable students to study abroad would be the perfect legacy for her. Having decided that, they approached Dot’s alma mater about possibly establishing a fund there. They were told that creating such a named fund would require a minimum of $250,000, which was considerably more than the family had set aside. They next approached Princeton University where Steve completed his undergraduate degree, and were again told the minimum required would be in six figures. Despite pooling their resources, the minimum required by these Ivy League institutions was too high for the family to manage.

The Doris Berry Norton Travel Scholarship Fund

Determined to find a way to honor his mother’s memory, Anne Norton (Steve’s wife Annie (Peer), UMaine Class of 1958, with an MAT in French, 1970) and Steve approached the UMaine Department of Foreign Languages, chaired by Professor William Small. Small visited with the siblings and their spouses; he recommended working with the University of Maine Foundation. Steve learned that it would be possible to create a named, endowed travel scholarship in his mother’s memory for a minimum of $10,000, which could be paid over a period of several years. The family leaped at the opportunity and, in 1996, created the Doris Berry Norton Travel Scholarship Fund. This fund is now sufficiently endowed to enable UMaine students to travel to and from any University abroad for one or two semesters in a country where English is not the first language. If the University of Maine Foundation had been less flexible, what followed would likely not have occurred.

The Paula E. Peer Scholarship

Paula Peer, Anne’s mother, was born in Yorkshire, England, during World War I, lived in Belgium until 1938, and emigrated to the United States from Antwerp, Belgium, with her family in 1938. After the family’s immigration to the U. S., Anne’s family eventually settled in Blue Hill, Maine. Because Paula’s husband served in the Agency for International Development (AID) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), she traveled to and lived in many countries. Through this travel, Paula had the opportunity to become immersed in different cultures and became fluent in five languages. She was also an accomplished artist and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of the Americas in Mexico City, Mexico. Paula’s extensive travels gave her the opportunity to expand her studies to many different art forms. She also loved classical music and the performing arts.

To celebrate, Paula, Anne, and Steve created the Paula E. Peer Scholarship fund in 1998. This fund supports UMaine students studying art and music in countries where English is not the first language. For nearly a decade until her death in 2014, Paula enjoyed how much the scholarships named in her honor helped their recipients. She was pleased to be honored. The fund will continue to help UMaine students for generations to come and is a wonderful tribute to Paula.

The Henriette C. Murphy Scholarship

Paula Peer, Anne, and Steve decided to endow a third scholarship at the University of Maine Foundation when Anne’s favorite aunt, Henriette (Rita) Murphy, died in 2008. Rita lived in Antwerp, Belgium, where Anne was born, and spent her life caring for children with M.S. She commonly would take a group of children to the Brugge coast for a week or more at her own expense. The Henriette C. Murphy Scholarship, which has focused on UMaine students with disabilities, became a reality in 2008. Rita lived long enough to see the new building she endowed in Antwerp that housed M.S.-afflicted children and their parents. Amy Sturgeon, Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services, recently expressed her gratitude for her program, saying:

“Since 2008, the Henriette C. Murphy Scholarship has greatly impacted students with disabilities attending the University of Maine. The scholarships have allowed many students to achieve their educational goals that would have otherwise been impacted by financial and other barriers.”

The Annie (P.) Norton Memorial Scholarship
Anne Norton taught French and Spanish for more than 25 years at Bucksport High School and Hampden Academy and traveled abroad every year with her students to Spain, France, or the French possessions St. Pierre and Miquélon. She believed that immersion in other cultures was critical to understanding ourselves and others. Sadly, Anne passed away in 2009, just a year after Henriette. Over the course of her lifetime, Anne mastered French (her father spoke only English to her in Belgium, knowing the family would emigrate to America when she was two years old), Spanish, German, and Norwegian. Steve and Anne’s three children (David Thurlow, Lisa Hydrick, and Stephen Norton) endowed the Annie (P.) Norton Memorial Scholarship fund at the University of Maine Foundation in 2009 —again, a travel fund to help UMaine students studying abroad in a country where the first language is not English.

The travel scholarships established by the Norton family honor the spirit of adventure and the importance of cross-cultural immersion. These endowed scholarships are making, and will continue to make, a tremendous impact on the lives of UMaine students. The Director of the Office of International Programs, Orlina Boteva, said,

“The Norton/Peer family has been helping UMaine students study abroad for nearly 30 years. Over the years since their inception, more than 40 students have received scholarships from the Doris Berry Norton Scholarship, the Paula Peer Scholarship, and the Annie (P.) Norton Scholarship. The scholarships are intended to cover the travel expenses for students studying abroad where English is not the first language. Students who received one of these scholarships have spent one or more semesters in Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Spain, Tanzania, and Ukraine (before the war). They returned to UMaine full of memorable stories, new skills and friendships, and described their study abroad experience as transformative.”

Through the four endowed scholarship funds the family has created at the University of Maine Foundation, their legacy of kindness has changed the lives of UMaine students.

Steve Norton wrote:

“Creating these endowments that allow Maine students to advance into the world has been a very rewarding experience for my late wife Anne and me, especially when we received letters and notes from abroad or locally, acknowledging what a difference my family and I made in their lives. Bill Small would be pleased that we followed his lead. When these students are able to support other students’ aspirations, I know the University of Maine Foundation stands ready to help them advance opportunities for UMaine students from anywhere. The Foundation has always listened to what we wanted to accomplish, and we have reacted as a team toward any refined goals.”

Highlighting Three Scholarship Recipients from the Class of 2024

Michael Delorge of Biddeford, Maine, is a 2024 valedictorian. Pursuing dual degrees in political science and biology, Delorge crafted coursework focused on public health policy with the goal of generating skills to improve medical care. Originally a pre-med student, he altered his studies to meet his interests and spent class time integrating topics such as plant biology with substance use policy.

Michael received the John M. Nickerson Scholarship.

Read Michael's Full Story

Tobey Crawford Connor of Sullivan, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Division of Lifelong Learning. She is a university studies major in the Maine studies track. Connor completed an internship in 2022 with the Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society, which led to her part-time job as communications coordinator for the organization. Her academic research focuses on Downeast Acadia prior to New England settlement in 1760, including facets of Passamaquoddy life and culture through both occupations. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Sigma Lambda honor societies. Connor plans to continue her University of Maine education as a graduate student in the history department. She will continue her research on Downeast Maine and the Borderlands, which will complement her work at the historical society and within her community.

Tobey received the Kenneth W. Allen Scholarship

Read Tobey's Full Story

Chappy Hall of Brunswick, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Honors College. Hall is a history major who pursued his passion for music by playing the trombone in several campus musical groups. In addition to participating in the University of Maine Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band, he joined several campus clubs, was inducted into three honors societies and presented at academic conferences on topics including Protestant Christianity’s role in Afro-British advancement. His research and studies while a student expanded his perspective and understanding of social issues, unconscious biases and the importance of diversity. In fall 2023, Hall was named one of four McGillicuddy Humanities Center undergraduate research fellows and completed a project for his honors thesis titled “Playing History: How Video Games Can Change The Way We Understand the Past.” Hall plans to pursue a graduate degree in French or European history after spending time working and making music.

Chappy received McGillicuddy Humanities Fellow support, the Comstock-Weston Scholarship and the Roger Hill Humanities Scholarship

Read Chappy's Full Story

UMaine alumni Phillip and Susan Morse donate $10M for new athletics arena

Orono, Maine — University of Maine alumni donors Phillip and Susan Morse have committed $10 million for naming rights to the multipurpose arena that is part of the UMaine Athletics Master Facilities Plan.

The contribution is part of the private fundraising campaign underway to meet the $90 million challenge grant for UMaine athletics as part of UMS TRANSFORMS, funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation.

With the Morse donation, $13.2 million of the $20 million goal has been raised by the University of Maine Foundation.

“We are pleased to support UMaine athletics through The Alfond Fund and this landmark UMS TRANSFORMS project made possible by the Alfond Foundation,” says Phillip Morse. “Harold Alfond was an inspiration to me, and it’s an honor to contribute to initiatives that advance his vision for advancing Maine and the state’s Division I athletics program. He is an example of how one good, generous person can make a big difference for generations.”

The University of Maine System Board of Trustees authorized the naming of Morse Arena, one of the new signature projects of the master facilities plan. The 3,000-seat facility will be the home court of men’s and women’s basketball, and provide a venue for large-scale campus and community events. The arena will include a significant interior space that will be named for the Morses’ longtime friend Thomas “Skip” Chappelle, UMaine men’s basketball student-athlete and coach from 1959–62 and 1971–88, respectively.

This is the second major naming gift by the Morses, members of the UMaine Class of 1964, to the UMaine athletics portion of the $240 million UMS TRANSFORMS initiative, and the family’s fourth major gift to support athletics in the past 25 years.

“The generous support of Phillip and Susan Morse has made a lasting difference on the UMaine student experience and what Maine’s only Division I athletics program offers communities and fans,” says UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “We appreciate their leadership and vision that will impact generations at their alma mater.”

Last December, Phillip and Susan Morse provided a $1 million gift to support the Athletics Facilities Master Plan. The gift also is part of the private fundraising for the Alfond challenge grant match.

Morse Field at Alfond Sports Stadium, a facility made possible by the generous donation of Harold Alfond and the Morses, opened in 1998. The Morse family pledged $1 million in 2007 to provide a significant upgrade to UMaine’s Morse Field playing surface at Harold Alfond Sports Stadium. In 2013, the Morse family presented UMaine Athletics with an $800,000 gift to be used to install the high-definition video scoreboard on Morse Field.

“Phil and Sue have been loyal supporters of the University of Maine for a long time and their gifts have had a lasting impact,” says Jeffery Mills, president and CEO of the University of Maine Foundation. “Donors at this level are making a significant investment in UMaine’s future and their leading commitment will inspire others. We are grateful for their vision and desire to make a difference.”

Phillip, vice chairman of the Boston Red Sox since 2004 and a partner since 2002, and Susan met at UMaine. They live in Lake George, New York and Jupiter, Florida.

At UMaine, Susan majored in education and Philip majored in sociology. Phillip also lettered in baseball and was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Upon her graduation from UMaine, Susan taught school in Darien, Connecticut and in Sudbury, Massachusetts. After she and Phillip married in 1966, they settled in Glens Falls, New York. She put aside teaching to raise their three daughters, Katherine (UMaine ’92), Shelley (Middlebury ’95) and Lindsey (UVM ’98). She served on the Glens Falls School District’s Board of Education for several years, and has long been passionate about education.

Phillip’s career achievements include founding North American Instrument Corporation in 1969, a company focused on the development, manufacturing and sales of the first transparent fluid delivery system for coronary angiography, the Morse Manifold. By 1994, the firm had grown into NAMIC U.S.A. Corporation, an 800-employee designer and manufacturer of a wide array of medical devices for interventional cardiology and radiology. Morse served as NAMIC’s chairman until its sale to Pfizer, Inc. in 1995. After more than 40 years, the Morse Manifold continues to be used in more than half of all cardiac catheterization procedures.

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