Alumnus John T. Hall Endows Undergraduate Scholarship

Norbert Sklarz (BSE AA '43, MSE '48, MBS '49)

John T. Hall (BSE ME '42) didn't consider himself the top student in his class when he attended the University of Michigan (U-M), but he was totally committed to mechanical engineering and went on to have a very successful engineering career.

Hall, who is now retired and lives with his wife, Shirley, in Williamsville, NY, believes there are still students who "aren't at the very top but have talent and a burning in their heart to become a mechanical engineer and whose finances won't support a first-class engineering education."

That's why the Halls recently set up a gift from their estate that will one day provide the John T. and Shirley W. Hall Scholarship, which will support and encourage MEAM undergraduates.

"I have always looked back with fond memories at my days in Ann Arbor," says Hall, who served in a variety of positions throughout his career as a mechanical engineer for Lockheed Aircraft Corp., General Electric Co., Bell Aircraft, and McMahon Engineering.

"I wanted to do something that would help the U-M because it gave me such a fine education. I wanted to show my appreciation to the taxpayers of the State of Michigan for providing an institution where I could acquire the tools and knowledge to have a fine career in mechanical engineering.

"As I thought about how I could best support MEAM, I decided an undergraduate scholarship for worthy students in need of financial support as the best application of my funds. With this help, several students will hopefully be able to achieve their goals. Perhaps with the assistance of our scholarship, they will feel indebted enough to create their own as they look back on successful careers," he says.