$100,000 Bequest from Alumnus George J. Russ, Class of ’69


George J. Russ, CSF Class of ’69, was not closely involved with the WGA Caddie Scholarship Fund. In fact, no one on the CSF staff or Board of Directors had ever met him. However, through his estate, he left the largest contribution the Fund has ever received from an alumnus. What a wonderful surprise and even more so, a feeling of great satisfaction, to know that our program had made such an impact on someone’s life that he decided to include the Fund in his will to this degree. We immediately reached out to the executors and met George’s closest friends and family to determine how to best use the contribution. We learned that George, upon his graduation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, continued on to a long, successful career in engineering. He was involved in the local Yonkers community through his church, not far from where he had grown up caddying at the Hudson River Club, and most of all, he cared about young people.  Together, we concluded that a scholarship in George’s name to a deserving student pursuing studies within the STEM fields, would be the most fitting tribute to this kind, generous man.  The first recipients were interviewed and awarded this summer. Ariella Delgado is studying mechanical engineering at Manhattan College and William Phillips is studying computer science at SUNY Buffalo. We know that George would be very pleased.