Jim and Sally Brozzo of Houghton have given $50,000 to Michigan Tech's Leaders for Innovation Campaign because they wanted to "give something back to their community." Their gift has been earmarked to support the purchase of snowmaking equipment for the Mont Ripley Ski Hill, the Hockey Educational Center, and the University's Chemical Engineering Pilot Plant.
Jim graduated from Michigan Tech in 1953 with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering. He then joined Dow Chemical Company, where he carried out various assignments in research, manufacturing, economic evaluation, technical service, and development until 1972, when he was named Technical Director of process development. During the next couple of decades he was promoted to progressively more responsible managerial positions until he was named Manager of Technology, with responsibility for implementing operating discipline in more than 50 manufacturing plants in Dow's Michigan Division. He retired from that post in 1993.
Jim has been involved with scouting for more than 50 years and both he and Sally are members of the Executive Board of the Hiawathaland Boy Scout Council. He has been a Course Director at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico and was manager of Remote Programs at the 1989 National Scout Jamboree. In 1993 he was presented with scouting's Silver Antelope Award for distinguished service to youth.
Jim is a member of Michigan Tech's Chemical Engineering Academy and serves on the Chemical Engineering Industrial Advisory Committee. He and Sally have been active supporters of Michigan Tech as members of the Presidents Society, the Friends of the Library Board, and have served as capital campaign volunteer leaders. He has also been a member of the MTU Alumni Association Board of directors.
"Sally and I have always felt that it is important to give back to the 'greater community,' including church, school, and society--that have been so instrumental in the quality of our lives," he said. "Without the availability of a world class university at an affordable price, many students wouldn't be able to afford the high quality education that Michigan Tech offers. Sally and I tried to target our gift into areas that we felt would attract youth to our campus. We see increasing enrollment and competing for students as the greatest challenges at Tech at this time."
Dick Robbins, national chairman for MTU's Leaders for Innovation Campaign, said "This gift by Jim and Sally Brozzo will go a long way toward helping Michigan Tech to continue to attract some of the best and brightest young people in the country to our campus. We feel it is this kind of donation that will spur other alumni and friends to help us meet or surpass our campaign goals."
Michigan Tech's Leaders for Innovation Campaign intends to raise $100 million for the University by 2003. Featured objectives of the campaign include investing in faculty, students, innovation, leadership, and quality.
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11/29/1999