[This is the letter Kirsten drafted and we sent to the University informing them about Dad’s gift. She continues to receive updates from them about how it has been used.]

October 30, 2004

Our father, Erwin Carl Rohde, passed away on September 19 of this year. He was a 1939 graduate of the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan and he left $300,000 in his will to the College of Engineering. While this is an unrestricted gift, I and my brother and sister hope that the gift may be used to support the Women in Science and Engineering Program.

Our father was the first in his family to go to college. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he went to work for General Electric and spent an active 40 year career principally at the Lynn Riverworks plant of GE’s Turbine Business group, receiving many awards for his pioneering work. Upon his retirement from a management position, the Industrial and Marine Steam Turbine Product Development Laboratory was named in his honor for his contribution to the business.

At the time of our father’s death, we met a number of his GE contemporaries who had many stories to tell about working with our father. One was a woman who said that our father had written a letter of recommendation for her promotion to a management position at GE. She was one of only two women managers in engineering at that time and she said she wouldn’t have received that promotion without Dad’s support. We know that our father put effort into supporting women and minorities achieving success at GE. Also, as father, a grandfather, and a great grandfather, he believed strongly that everyone should attend college and was generous in his support of college education for all of us.

Therefore, in keeping with our father’s values, we are hoping the the College of Engineering will apply this gift in support of women students entering the field of engineering. We are glad that our father has made this gift and hope that it serves students at the College of Engineering now and into the future.

Thank you for your consideration.