To help encourage the brightest and best students in Wayne County to continue their education at IU East, Paul and Pat Lingle announced their plan to endow the Paul and Pat Lingle Scholars Program which provides a four year scholarship to high-achieving area students pursuing a four-year degree at Indiana University East.

Paul and Pat Lingle

The Lingles endowed gift will provide permanent annual funding for the program that was established in 2005. Since that time, the program has helped 14 students achieve their goal of earning a a bachelor’s degree, including this year’s Lingle Scholar graduating seniors, Madeline Truette of Centerville, Indiana, and Logan Ullery of Richmond, Indiana.

IU East Chancellor Kathy Cruz-Uribe made the announcement during IU East’s Honors Convocation held April 19.

With this gift, the Lingles total commitment to IU East is now nearly $1 million.

Cruz-Uribe said she shares in the Lingles love for the community and interest in helping young people become an integral part of the future.

“The Lingle Scholars program plays an important role in this effort,” Cruz-Uribe said. “I am excited that Paul and Pat have decided to make the Lingle Scholars program a permanent opportunity for Wayne County’s best and brightest by endowing the Paul & Pat Lingle Scholar Award.”

The four-year scholarship is given to two incoming freshman students who have been accepted to the IU East Honors Program, an academic program that provides an intellectually enriching curriculum for highly motivated students. Recipients receive a four-year scholarship, provided by the Lingles.

“There are a lot of things that are impressive about this scholarship,” Paul Lingle said. “This scholarship is forever. This is something for education and to develop the workforce, and hopefully encourage people to stay in the area. IU East has 85 percent of its graduates who stay in the region. If we’re going to compete now and in the future, it’s all about the education our residents receive.”

More importantly, Lingle added, the scholarship program is one way they hope to be able to make a difference for the people living in the community.

“We have watched our previous recipients of the Lingle Scholars grow all the way through their bachelor’s, master’s, and in some cases, doctorate programs,” Lingle said. “It is good to see how this makes a difference in their lives and how it will help move each of these individuals to continue to move forward in their future.”

Since IU East was established in 1971, the Lingles have supported the campus. He is a member of the IU East Board of Advisors, where he has advised the campus and its administration at each phase of development.

The couple has supported other projects, including the most recent Palette to Palate, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences program, various capital projects including the Student Events and Activities Center where you will find Lingle Court, the home of the Red Wolves.

In 2005-2006, Paul Lingle was a committee member for the IU East Campaign for Community, helping the university to raise money for the arts, nursing and science laboratories, and scholarships. He was also the co-chair for the IU East Campaign for Indiana in 1990, which raised funds for the construction of Hayes Hall. Lingle is also a Chancellor’s Medallion recipient in November 2017 and received an honorary doctorate in May 2012.

Lingle is president of Coldwell Banker Lingle. He and Pat Lingle are involved in community initiatives and projects. With a focus on improving the quality of life for area residents, Lingle has been a leading voice in the areas of economic development, healthcare, and higher education. Pat Lingle previously owned a business in childcare, and she has a large interest in watching youth develop and seeing them through their goals in higher education.

Paul Lingle said Pat is a big supporter of the Lingle Scholars program, taking the students under her wing and remaining in touch with them throughout their experience.

This gift will count toward the $3 billion campaign, For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign. IU East’s campaign goal is $7 million, which will help fund a variety of campus initiatives, student scholarships and strategic projects. Find out more about IU East and ways to assist the campus at iue.edu/development.

For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign is taking place on all IU-administered campuses including IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. The campaign will conclude in June 2020 to coincide with IU’s bicentennial year celebration. To learn more about the campaign, its impact, and how to participate, please visit forall.iu.edu.

Founded in 1936, the Indiana University Foundation maximizes private support for Indiana University by fostering lifelong relationships with key stakeholders and providing advancement leadership and fundraising services for campuses and units across the university. Today, the IU Foundation oversees one of the largest public university endowments in the country, with a market value in excess of $2 billion. IU is consistently ranked among the top four of Big Ten universities in annual voluntary support.