Scotts LawnService Donates over $100,000 in Support of Student Scholarships to Ohio State

Scotts LawnService has made a gift of $106,327 in scholarship support to Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The Scotts LawnService Scholarship Fund will be a current use fund and will provide full in-state tuition for two students.

"The Scotts LawnService Scholarship Fund in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences will be a tremendous help to our students, especially in the current economic climate. Ohio State and its students are most grateful for this generous gift, and for our continued partnership with Scotts LawnService," said Bobby Moser, vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the college.

Recipients will also be awarded an internship with Scotts LawnService at its corporate headquarters in Marysville, Ohio, providing hands-on working experience. The internships will be year-long and will vary in time seasonally and depending on the students' schedules.

"The scholarship and internship create an exciting opportunity to further our partnership with Scotts LawnService," said Bill Randle, chair of the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science. "Tying the business experience through the hands-on internship with the academic scholarship is a win-win for everyone."

The program is intended to provide student-recipients with insight, experience, and exposure to the professional lawn care and landscape industry. "This is an outstanding opportunity for us to develop a working relationship with top talent at the university," said Peter Korda, senior vice president, Scotts LawnService. "The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and Scotts LawnService are proud to be able to help prepare young adults for professional opportunities in our workforce."

--By Jane Carroll

Naturally a Buckeye

Longtime Extension specialist provides CFAES with planned gifts

Tom Stockdale credits his parents with passing along their love of nature and the outdoors. Their influence inspired his Ohio State education and long-term career in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

Stockdale's father, Mike, served as a bailiff in the Erie County common pleas court for 43 years. He handled difficult situations at work all day and wanted a calming environment to retreat to during off hours. With his wife, Betty, he bought 15 acres outside Sandusky to build a home and raise their family.

  It was their time spent together on the land that left an imprint on the young Stockdale. His father bird-watched and planted trees on the land. His mother liked to garden and belonged to the Sandusky Gardening Club.

"My mother used some scientific terms to describe the greenery around the place," Stockdale said. "I was around this information enough that I knew I wanted a career that involved the outdoors. Wildlife management seemed an ideal direction."

In 1955, he graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor's degree in zoology and completed four years of ROTC. He served two years in Germany with the Army and then returned to Ohio State, earning a master's degree in zoology in 1959.

"Lo and behold, I was in the right place at the right time. The university needed a wildlife specialist in the Extension service, and I was hired," said Stockdale, who served as an Ohio State professor and Extension specialist for 28 years.

Stockdale retired at 55 and created an estate plan that supports programs he cares about. His two charitable gift annuities (CGA) benefit Ohio State's wildlife program in CFAES' School of Environment and Natural Resources, the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, and the Professional Golf Management program.

"With CGAs, you're making a marvelous investment," he said, adding that the interest rate is higher than most vehicles. "In addition, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your intentions will be carried out as you wish after your lifetime."

Special Opportunity for Staff, Faculty, and Retirees

For any member of Ohio State's staff, faculty, or retirees who is at least 55 years of age, you may fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA) to benefit any area of CFAES . A CGA makes a far-reaching impact and gives you fixed lifetime payments, an immediate charitable income tax deduction, and the satisfaction of making a difference.

For more details, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at (614) 292-2183 or e-mail plangive@osu.edu.

--By Terri Stone

Legendary Golfer Visits Ohio State

Last fall brought more than football to Ohio State. On Oct. 23 and Oct. 24, Tom Crow, one of golf's legendary figures, visited The Ohio State University for the first time.

Tom Crow has had success both on and off the golf course. He is a former Australian Amateur Champion and also went on to represent Australia in the Eisenhower International Teams Championship. After moving to the United States in 1973, Crow founded Cobra Golf. Today it is one of the top manufacturers of golf equipment.

Crow's best-known design is the "Baffler," the first utility wood. This type of club provides players with greater flexibility from difficult lies.

The Professional Golf Management Program (PGM) had the good fortune to be connected to Tom Crow through one of their students, Josh Stueve. The two met while Josh was interning last summer at a private course in Jackson, Wyoming, 3 Creek Ranch. Josh relayed Crow's interest in PGM, and CFAES Development coordinated the visit along with the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science.

On the evening of Oct. 23, a reception was held at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center to welcome Tom Crow to campus. He gave an entertaining talk to the students and donors about golf club design. The program was a big hit with the attendees. On Saturday, Crow watched the Buckeyes beat Minnesota from the President's Suite in The Horseshoe.

Josh Stueve said, "Mr. Crow's visit to Ohio State turned out to be everything we had hoped it would be. The students very much appreciated his talk on the founding of Cobra Golf, and he offered valuable insight into many of the different projects the PGM staff is working on to improve the quality of the program. Best of all, after attending the Buckeye football game on Saturday morning, he has become an instant die-hard Buckeye fan. We really feel fortunate to have had Mr. Crow choose to visit our program, and we hope he comes back again soon."

Following the game, Tom toured the PGM suite on the way out to visit the proposed PGM driving range site at Waterman. Tom's old friend and fellow golf legend, Mike Hurdzan, was there to share his range site drawings. Crow was impressed with the work and enthusiastic about the possibilities. The highlight of Tom's visit was going to Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Design to see Mike's collection of golf memorabilia.

The weekend wrapped up with a wonderful dinner with the PGM students and staff. Tom is excited about the program and wants to return. Crow said, "I am delighted with the young people in the PGM program. It was a fabulous visit and I was enormously impressed."

For more information about Professional Golf Management, contact Karen Race at (614) 247-8754.

--By Sarah Grafner