Gene Weber
When it came time to decide on a college, the choice was made simple for Gene Weber '64 and his two brothers.
"My Dad (Mathias '20) went to Saint John's, and our Mother said if Saint John's was good enough for our father, it was good enough for us," he said.
"That took care of that."
But Weber said his mother's instinct has more than been proven correct.
"Saint John's values become part of you by osmosis," he said. "And you want to give back."
Weber - who went on to a successful career in the business world - has been doing just that for a long time now.
Following the death of his father in 1969, he and his brothers - Robert '61 and Everett '68 - set up the Mathias M. and Isabelle Weber Family Memorial Scholarship Fund, and he has contributed annually ever since.
The idea originally came from his wife Judy as a way to honor Mathias, who had been active in the school's alumni association.
The scholarship goes to someone pursuing a degree in business with a GPA in the B-or-C range. The latter requirement is meant to extend opportunities to those with fewer financial options available.
"For students with A averages, there are a lot of scholarships available," said Weber, who has also worked with his classmates on the Class of '64 Scholarship Fund.
"But we wanted to reach students who may not have as many academic scholarships open to them."
Recently, Weber has also set up an estate plan to make sure his contributions to Saint John's continue.
"I believe in Saint John's and I believe in its future," he said. "And with the cost of tuition going up and up, it's going to be difficult for more and more students to come there.
"I wanted to do my part. I owe that to Saint John's for all the place has done for me."
