6 7 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNI VERSI T Y FOUNDATI ON 2013 STATELY REVI EW

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win brothers Jim and Joe
Fergen came to the South
Dakota State campus in the
mid-1960s to pursue degrees in
engineering.
Neither received a scholarship.
Their parents helped them as
much as they could fnancially
to get through school. Their
mom, Veronica, worked in sales
for World Book Encyclopedia
and then as a homemaker. Their
dad, Al, was an ofce manager
for Sioux Falls car dealers. "It was
a big deal to them" that the two
attended college, said Joe, who
now lives in St. Paul.
More than three decades after
graduating, the brothers began
sponsoring a scholarship in
memory of their parents who
"inspired and encouraged them to
embrace and enjoy the learning
experience." The Al and Veronica
Fergen Memorial Scholarship
has been awarded continuously
since 2005.
Jim worked 38 years at 3M and
served as a major in the Army
Reserve. Joe, who earned his
degree in civil engineering and
then an MBA from the University
of South Dakota, had a career in
sales and then investments.
In October 2010, Jim passed away.
He included SDSU in his estate
plans, ultimately providing more
than $320,000. But he gave no
specifc instructions on how it
should be used. His twin brother
was the one who had to decide
how best to create a legacy for
his brother at SDSU.
Jim was heavily involved during
his time on campus. He was
active in Blue Key and Lambda
Chi Alpha fraternity, president of
the Union Board and a member
of Eta Kappu Nu, the honor
society for Electrical Engineering.
Family described him as a "warm,
friendly and gentle spirit who
was always willing to help others."
The estate was used to create an
endowment that will support up
to seven diferent scholarships
in the College of Engineering
annually.
The very frst student awarded
the James E. Fergen Renewable
Engineering Scholarship is Ben
Meyer of the Okoboji Community
School in Milford, Iowa. Meyer
was one of 36 students invited
to SDSUs Scholars Weekend in
February. Scholars Weekend is
reserved for high school students
with an ACT of at least 30. Meyer
will start at SDSU this fall to
pursue a degree
in civil engineering.
Joe likes the idea of having a
"small part of Jim" continue by
"helping further someone else's
education." He added: "He dearly
loved the institution for the
education that he received there."
Morgan, Brian, Drayton, Maureen, Trevon and Tayler Logue
Jim Fergen
Ben Meyer
W
hen Brian and Maureen Logue were fnally
ready to act on Maureen's long-held interest
in being an adoptive parent, the Brookings couple
was drawn to Ethiopia by the profound need that
existed in that country.
Trevon and Drayton ofcially joined the Logues and
their two daughters, Tayler, now 16, and Morgan,
now 14, on May 20, 2012.
It was also a need that
Brian saw that motivated
them to create the
Logue Chemistry
and Biochemistry
Graduate Student Awards in 2012. Brian, an
Army veteran whose service included an eight-
month deployment in Qatar under Operation
Enduring Freedom, is an associate professor in the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The graduate students, he said, "feel like they're
part of my extended family." They put in long hours
and there wasn't much fnancial support available,
particularly on the research side.
"The pride you get when they announce the
scholarship and take pictures and the 'thanks'
LOGUE CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS
ENDOWMENTS CREATE A LEGACY
JIM E. FERGEN SCHOLARSHIPS
"The pride you get when they
announce the scholarship and take
pictures and the 'thanks' you get is
(worth) way more than what we give."
you get," Brian said, "is (worth)
way more than what we give."
Brian and Maureen both earned
their undergraduate degrees
from SDSU -- Brian in Chemistry;
Maureen in Pharmacy. They met
through ROTC and were lab
partners in organic chemistry.
Maureen grew up in Rapid City
in a low-income, single-family
home. Although she had to
take out student loans, she
beneftted from an Army ROTC
scholarship. "That left a long-
lasting impression on me."
Dr. Logue received scholarships during his graduate
work at Oregon State University, and says he took
great pride in earning those awards. The help he
received there, coupled with the need he saw at
SDSU, led to their decision.
They are funding the
award annually as they
make additional gifts to
create an endowment
that will support it in
perpetuity.
They signed the agreement to establish the award
and endowment only three months after Trevon,
who turns 5 in June, and Drayton, who just turned 3,
joined the family in Brookings.
The graduate award became a priority in their
budget. "It's very intentional. There's not just extra
money hanging around," said Maureen, who is a
pharmacist at HyVee in Brookings. Both felt it was
important to establish it.
"We are blessed," Maureen said. "It's our
responsibility. It's something that we need to do."
Family described him as a
"warm, friendly and gentle spirit who
was always willing to help others."