From parent of a newly enrolled freshman to member of the Board of Trustees, Tom McDowell has continued his active support of Alma College despite the fact that he has a diploma from Albion College.
His association with Alma began when his daughter Teri enrolled.
“My wife Sue and I have a son and a daughter, and our son, who is two years older, went to a liberal arts college in the East that didn’t offer a merit scholarship,” says Tom. “So when Teri applied to Alma, we were both delighted and pleased that she was accepted and that the College offered a merit scholarship.”
In appreciation, the McDowells donated an amount equal to Teri’s merit scholarship back to the College.
“Teri had a wonderful experience at Alma, “ says Tom, who got involved with the Parents Association Board while his daughter was a student. After her graduation in 1994, Teri enrolled at Louisville Seminary and today is a Presbyterian minister.
Tom and Sue McDowell continue to support Alma College primarily through giving to the ALMA Fund and to the Teresa McDowell-Ott Endowed Scholarship, established in their daughter’s honor. They also supported the construction of the Stone Recreation Center.
In 2006, McDowell accepted an invitation to serve on Alma’s Board of Trustees.
“I like the atmosphere of the campus,” says Tom. “It’s open, friendly, genuine, a slice of small-town America — a different experience from the Detroit suburbs where we lived."
“Serving on the Board of Trustees is a wonderful way to get up close and personal with the College in ways I haven’t been able to since my daughter’s graduation,” he says. “I’ve found that the College is better than ever.”
Tom is a retired executive vice president for risk management and corporate banking at First Chicago National Bank of Detroit Corporation and former president of NBD Mortgage Company. He is a past member of the Economics Club of Detroit and the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and also was involved in the Cluster Tutoring Program in Chicago.
— Mike Silverthorn
