A thoughtful gift

Alumnus John Dennison was a thoughtful man who didn’t act rashly, said his brother Steve Dennison.

“John was a well-prepared person in everything he did,” Steve said. “He researched everything before he did anything. There is no doubt he was very intentional in making the UW-Eau Claire Foundation the beneficiary of his IRA.”
Dennison died Dec. 14, 2008, after a battle against lung cancer.

“He made some smaller gifts to some other charities, but the main gift went to UW-Eau Claire,” Steve said. “Obviously, this gift was very important to him.”

The gift of $250,000 will endow a scholarship for a sophomore, junior or senior student in accounting or the College of Business who has a disadvantaged background and demonstrates financial need.

“We are grateful for this gift as many students are struggling financially,” said D’Arcy Becker, chair of the accounting and finance department. “Mr. Dennison’s scholarship is a wonderful legacy that will help accounting students with great potential continue their education.”

John graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1972 with a degree in accounting. He studied briefly at William Mitchell College of Law and then went to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where he received an MBA. His father also briefly attended UW-Eau Claire, and his brother, David, graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1982 with a degree in journalism.
John had a long career in the health care industry, working as a financial officer at hospitals in Des Moines and the Quad Cities. His last position was as a chief financial officer for Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Ill.

“John was successful in the career he chose and in the field he selected," Steve said. "He was proud of what he’d accomplished and he wanted this scholarship to encourage someone who would have struggled to get through college. John believed that people could succeed no matter what barriers they faced if given an opportunity.”