Wayne State College

Circle of Excellence
Sonna Holmes
Dolores Troup
Susan
Thompson
Buffett
Foundation
6
The Circle of Excellence is the highest recognition given to donors for their contributions during the year. It is reserved for alumni,
friends and businesses who contributed $100,000 or more during the reporting period of this Honor Roll of Donors.
Members of the Circle of Excellence receive all of the benefits and privileges of belonging to the Presidents Society. Upon initial entry
into the Circle, they receive special recognition in the Honor Roll of Donors.
Sonna Holmes left 196 acres of farmland in her will for Wayne State
College. Her wish was for the Wayne State Foundation to sell the
property and establish a scholarship in her mother’s memory. The
Donna Sonner Holmes Endowed Scholarship is awarded to elementary
and secondary education majors. Sonna has honored her mother with
this endowed scholarship and created a lasting legacy.
Sonna’s mother, Donna, attended Wayne State for two years after
graduation from Wayne High School. She graduated from UCLA with a
bachelor of arts degree in 1927 and began a teaching career. She was
employed by the Grand Island Public Schools until her retirement.
Dolores Troup left 50 percent of her estate to benefit Wayne State
College’s campus beautification efforts. Her gift was used to complete
the campus commons project.
Dolores graduated from Wayne State College in 1939. In a letter to
the college president in 1976, she wrote that “the years spent on
your campus were the happiest of my life.” She added that she hoped
her gift would allow the beauty of campus to continue to serve as an
inspiration to many young people.
Dolores lived in Earlham, Iowa. She was born March 16, 1910, and died
Dec. 2, 2007.
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation provides scholarships for
tuition and fees up to $3,200 per semester and a textbook allowance
of $400 per semester for undergraduate students attending Nebraska
public universities, colleges, or community colleges. These funds are
available to the extent that tuition, fees and books are not already
covered by other grants or scholarships.
The foundation expanded the scholarship program for the 2007-2008
academic year, which pushed the number of Wayne State College
students benefiting from the foundation’s funds from 24 students in
2006-2007, to 43 in 2007-2008, and 76 in 2008-2009.
Wayne State is grateful to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation for
its commitment to providing access to education at Nebraska’s public
colleges and universities.
Florence
Kindler Griffin
The Gardner
Foundation
Trustees of the Gardner
Foundation include
David J. Gardner,
Leslie A. (Gardner) Bebee,
Jeanne M. Gardner
and Kirk N. Gardner.
The Charles B. Griffin and Florence Kindler Griffin Endowed Scholarship
was established in 1993 by Florence and Bud to provide assistance
to business majors at Wayne State College. Bud passed away in
1994. Florence continues to contribute generously to their endowed
scholarship. She has always been a strong supporter of Wayne State
and received the 2002 Alumni Service Award.
Florence taught high school in Creighton, Neb., after graduating from
Wayne State in 1942 and married Charles B. “Bud” Griffin in 1943.
The next year, she taught high school in Clarksville, Texas, and then
took a position as an accountant for the Rid River Army Depot (RRAD).
She held a number of positions with RRAD but concluded a 26-year
career as a management analyst and developed emergency plans for
any contingency, such as war, riots and natural disasters. Since her
retirement in 1970, Florence has traveled extensively and continues to
enjoy traveling.
The trustees of the Gardner Foundation of Wakefield, Neb., include
Jeanne M. Gardner, David J. Gardner, Kirk N. Gardner and Leslie A.
(Gardner) Bebee. Founder Daniel W. Gardner died in January 2001.
The Gardner Foundation has played a major role in every fundraising
initiative launched by Wayne State College and is a vital partner in the
success of the foundation and the college as it moves forward to fulfill
its mission of excellence in teaching and learning and regional service
and development. It is with a profound sense of gratitude that we
recognize the Gardner family in this Honor Roll of Donors.