Ohio Wesleyan Students to Benefit from Estate Commitment
Gift from Delaware Residents Joe and Linda Diamond to Create Endowed Scholarship Fund
DELAWARE, Ohio – For decades, Joe and Linda Diamond have worked tirelessly to help develop Delaware’s now-vibrant downtown. Through their Rosebud Properties, the community-minded couple has rehabilitated buildings, mentored new business owners, and supported events that encourage families to visit and explore the historic city.
“When you think of downtown Delaware, you think of Joe and Linda Diamond,” said Rock Jones, Ph.D., president of Ohio Wesleyan University. “The Diamonds have been a driving force in making Delaware the lively gathering spot it has become. They are hands-on visionaries always ready to help transform dreams into realities.”
The couple is equally committed to helping Ohio Wesleyan students achieve their educational ambitions by making an estate commitment to the university that will create the C. Joseph and Linda Diamond Endowed Scholarship. When established, the multimillion-dollar fund will support students majoring in the arts, sciences, or humanities, with first preference for scholarships given to Delaware County residents.
“We believe in the value of a liberal arts education,” Joe Diamond said, “and we think Ohio Wesleyan is doing it right. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of understanding issues from different academic and cultural perspectives. We considered a lot of options as we made our plans, and we hope to inspire others to support the university as they are able.”
The couple’s commitment is considered part of Ohio Wesleyan’s $200 million Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign – the largest single fundraising initiative in university history. The seven-year campaign, launched in its leadership phase in July 2014, already has raised more than $109 million. Its priorities include enhancing access and affordability for students through scholarship endowment; recognizing and rewarding faculty excellence and innovation; and improving the physical campus.
Elizabeth Long Downey, a 2006 OWU graduate and member of the Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Board, said the Diamonds set a wonderful example for others to follow.
“It is great to see a local couple investing in Ohio Wesleyan and its students through the Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign,” Downey said. “Joe and Linda have already added so much to each student’s college experience by their investment in the Delaware community, but now in their academic future as well. This gift to the campaign will ensure future generations benefit from the OWU experience.”
Learn more about making estate gifts and other contributions to support Ohio Wesleyan at owu.edu/waystogive.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers nearly 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.