Atherton's Menlo College receives major gifts Atherton's Menlo College receives major gifts (March 14, 2001)

Menlo College has received three major gifts that will renew the Hewlett Visiting Professors and Students Program and fund the new F. Philler Curtis Professorship in the School of Business and Management.

James Waddell, Menlo College president, said a recent gift of $200,000 from William R. and Rosemary B. Hewlett will enable faculty from Menlo College and Harris Manchester College at Oxford to continue to engage each other and students in lively educational issues.

Two Menlo College alumni provided gifts of $250,000 each to establish the professorship in honor of F. Philler Curtis, who was director of admissions and registrar for 25 years.

The benefactors are Russell Frankel, executive vice president of Fayez Sarofim & Co. of Houston, Texas, and a member of the college's board of trustees; and George W. Couch, president of Couch Distributing Company in Watsonville.

Mr. Couch described Mr. Curtis as "a mentor and father figure" to many students. "Without his guidance and encouragement, I know that I would not have been able to complete my studies," he said.

Selected to fill the new business management faculty position is Dale J. Hockstra, formerly professor of management at the University of Evansville, Illinois.