Thomas and Harold Oehmke

  Harold Oehmke, far right front, with his fellow fighter pilots

Thomas H. Oehmke, an undergrad from WSU's Monteith College and the College of Education, completed Wayne State University Law School in 1973. During his 33 years as an arbitrator and litigator, Tom has argued before the U. S. Supreme Court in the hallmark case of Burger King vs. Rudzewicz, now a staple for first year civil procedure students. He authors the four-volume treatise Commercial Arbitration 3rd (Thomson-West), cited as authority by federal and state courts in more than two dozen reported cases arising from disputes in 17 states. Tom has also written or edited dozens of law books, legal monographs and articles, including four volumes of Williston on Contracts 4th.

Harold Oehmke, Tom's father, also an attorney and DCL law grad, created a generous trust in Tom's name as part of his estate planning, using savings earned over the years. The principal amount of cash in this charitable remainder trust (CRT) was invested into a broker-managed, donor-advised charitable foundation; while the corpus remains untouched, it pays monthly interest while Tom is alive - a condition he presently enjoys. "When I wake up on the wrong side of the dirt one day," Tom reports, "then the WSU Law School will receive the corpus of the CRT."

This CRT will fund the Thomas H. Oehmke Scholarship Fund in perpetuity at the Law School. Scholarships are awarded to B and C grade students (rather than A students). "I worked my way through undergraduate and law school, paying my own tuition," Tom notes. "Without enough time to study, I earned a C average. This scholarship fund will help diligent students of modest means who show good scholarly promise, even if ineligible for highly-competitive merit scholarships."

When asked about his favorite charity, Tom has encouraged family and friends to consider the Thomas H. Oehmke Scholarship Fund. "Give while you live, and know where it goes," Tom advises. Last year, attorney Joan M. Brovins (Tom's spouse and a U of D law grad) did just that, adding $7,000 to that Scholarship Fund. With an earlier $18,000 gift, scholarships for Law School students can begin next year.

"More Wayne State alumni might consider a charitable remainder trust," Tom urged. "Major investment firms offer CRT options. This plan grants heirs an income stream for life, gives the donor a charitable tax deduction, and preserves a future gift for WSU.

Please contact the Planned Gifts staff at (313) 577-6481 for assistance in planning your gift or a personalized proposal for the gift that is right for you.