Future Generations

  Susanne Spiegel and Stephen Williams with President Emeritus Irvin D. Reid

Susanne Spiegel served Wayne State University for more than 25 years, retiring as Associate Executive Director, Office of Alumni Relations. Stephen Williams received his Bachelor's degree in political science in 1972 and Master's degree in education in 1974 at Wayne State. He received his Ph.D. in Education-History from the University of Michigan. He has served his profession for more than 30 years, dedicating his career to the Plymouth Canton Community School District, working with high school students.

Susanne and Stephen have pledged to create the Susanne Spiegel and Stephen S. Williams Endowed Scholarship in Political Science for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from their joint estate.

"My undergraduate days at Wayne State were the most exciting time of my life," Stephen said. "Part of it, of course, was the turbulent era of the late 60s and early 70s. Being at the university challenged me to learn new things and look at things in new ways. It really changed how I saw the world and myself."

"Susanne and I decided to make a planned gift through our personal sense of responsibility," he continued. "Working in education, one realizes that a 'free' education is not really free. Others before us made considerable sacrifices of time, energy and money to make education available and we feel obligated to contribute back as we can. At the last Anthony Wayne Society Charter Night, unexpectedly to me, one of my former students, Alex Marinica, who is now an honors student at the university majoring in history and science, was one of the student speakers. Alex's speech began with a story about his sophomore year in high school. He noted that he was a good student and very involved in school activities. But then he had a course which from the first day challenged him to reconsider the purpose of an education, what it meant to be an educated person, and what sacrifices others make to provide students like him with educational opportunity. From then on he said he realized he had to use these opportunities wisely and "pay everyone back for their generosity." After his story, Alex acknowledged that I was the teacher of that course and noted it was fitting that Susanne and I were being honored for our philanthropic intentions because the whole idea had come full circle and we were living our philosophy."

"Among many efforts, Wayne State University has done one thing particularly well. It has always given first generation college students a great education," Stephen said. "It is my hope that its honors program will be expanded and its urban mission and research efforts supported so all students will have the opportunity to take part in the great conversation that is the legacy of human society. Our scholarship will help to perpetuate that conversation for future generations."