SEPTEMBER 1999
Dr. Brahaney
Patrick Brahaney
DONORS THINK EDUCATED
WORLD COULD BE BETTER
BRAHANEY GIFT
With the death of her son in 1967 and of her husband in 1983, Esther K. Brahaney has set up endowments at FSU to honor both.
The two endowments - in memory of her husband, Dr. James Patrick Brahaney, and her son, Patrick Alex Brahaney - will benefit the human services and studies department in FSU's College of Education. "It has been my distinct pleasure to remember my beloved husband and son through the contribution to Florida State University," she said.
She has been an executive secretary with the Florida Supreme Court, the Leon County Circuit Court and two major law firms. Her husband began college after serving in World War II, and he worked full time while attending classes. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. from FSU.
He was a psychologist for the state of Florida and taught at Lakeland and Leesburg Junior Colleges until he returned to FSU. He taught at Florida State until he retired at age 63.
The professorship in honor of Dr. Brahaney will serve as a faculty salary supplement to a professor in rehabilitation education.
Patrick Alex Brahaney attended Blessed Sacrament School, graduated from Leon High School in 1965 and was a student at FSU when he was killed in an automobile accident in 1967, at the age of 20.
The scholarship in his name will support students who are majoring in rehabilitation.
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Dusseldorp
DUSSELDORP GIFT
By Ann Rohde
FSU College of Education
The Sharon Gray Van Dusseldorp Endowed Scholarship Fund has been established in the College of Education by Larry Van Dusseldorp Sr. to honor his wife.
Sharon Van Dusseldorp died in an automobile accident last year. Her husband and their friends and business associates have made a $100,000 gift in her memory to the FSU College of Education, to help students conquer the disadvantages of poor education and of poverty.
She was a nationally famous trainer, speaker and motivator to major U.S. corporations and organizations. She trained several thousand welfare-to-work participants, and was committed to helping women in the transition.
As a consultant and trainer for Welfare to Work, she helped clients learn the skills, confidence and determination to succeed. Her clients included ambitious, talented people w
ho had been trapped in the welfare/poverty cycle and wanted to break the cycle through education. The students who receive the scholarships will come from an educationally disadvantaged background and demonstrate good character, the desire to excel and a commitment to education.
Larry Van Dusseldorp believes the excellent academic and social experiences provided by FSU are crucial stepping stones to success.
Janes
JANES GIFT
Jeanene Janes has been a social worker in Florida for almost 40 years and has seen repeated examples of heart-breaking children. She watched whole families disintegrate as the sons, one after another, came before judges for crimes like arson and theft.
But she believes that social workers with the right training can make a difference.
And Janes will make a difference in the training. She has given the FSU School of Social Work $100,000 for a professorship in child welfare.
"I am concerned about the large number of children coming into the child welfare system who are the victims of societal problems, such as domestic violence situations, drug or alcohol abuse or inadequate parenting," said Janes, who is a district budget manager for the Department of Children and Families in Jacksonville. "The system is challenged to not only protect these children but also to bring some stability to their lives and hope for their future."
Janes earned a master's degree in social work from FSU in 1969. In 1971, when the Child Protection Act was passed in Florida and the state was flooded with child abuse reports, many people without master's degrees - or plans to get a master's - were hired.
Today, FSU's School of Social Work is working to bring social workers in child welfare back to a higher professional status, said Dean Dianne Montgomery.
Janes has worked in almost every area of social services. "While it's been frustrating to work in the public sector because there is always more need than resources, if you believe in what you're doing, you can have a positive impact on the people you serve," Janes said.