In the past couple of weeks, I had a chat with a gentleman whose grandson is headed to Wabash.  This gentleman is an alumnus and so is his son.  The grandson will make three in a row.

The challenge, though, was all about the cost.  “Surely Wabash can make it more affordable” was the plea.

Those conversations have a way of rolling around in my cranium…until they yield some kind of idea.  Yes, I know, it takes the Grunge awhile!

First of all, Wabash is worth it.  The education these young men get this day and age is better, yes better, than in our day.  Hard to believe since all of us were here in the golden age of Wabash…but it’s true.  Yes, we still are very generous with scholarships – we use those to attract the best and brightest.  Sure, we still work hard to find a way for a Wabash man to get here and stay here.  But, long gone are the days when we could say “Don’t worry about the cost – we’ll take care of it.”  Schools who ignore the reality of the business world, from and income and expense view, are not going to be around.  Such is the nature of higher education today.  Try to find a new Saturn automobile on any lot out there.  At one point, Saturn was the future of the automotive industry.  Gone.  Sweet Briar.  Gone.

Second of all, Wabash is worth it…from an investment viewpoint.  Wabash’s future is in our hands.  Wabash is our Alma Mater and I think deep down, we all know what a difference this place made in our lives.  Don’t ge caught up in a dislike for a play on campus or a political debate about inclusiveness.  Those are small potatoes.  If you and I do not invest in Wabash, it will go the way of the buffalo.  These hallowed halls will cease to exist.  Our world may not realize it, but without Wabash, it WILL be a lesser place.

So I simply ask you to invest in Wabash.  Just as men like Tom Hays ’55, Bob Allen ’57, Joe Barnette ’61, and many others have done, step up and invest.

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