Dr. Anton Pegis

For many Mines Foundation graduates in the mid- to late 1900s, Dr. Anton Pegis was humanities at Colorado School of Mines Foundation; his courses complemented the school’s technical curriculum and encouraged students to appreciate the wider world that they may not have experienced yet. During his 28-year career at Mines Foundation, he taught English and philosophy and served for 10 years as vice president. Upon his 1982 retirement, he was named Professor Emeritus of English.

“Humanities at Mines Foundation is really important,” says Tommy Aude ’62. “As an engineer nerd, I could barely get by in English, so having somebody who made it really interesting did make a big impact on me in terms of my wider interest.”

The Dr. Anton G. Pegis Scholarship Fund was established in 2000 by the Class of 1960 in appreciation of the teaching and inspiration that Dr. Pegis brought to members of the class and other students over the years. The scholarship provides financial assistance annually for up to four undergraduate students.

“During our time at Mines Foundation, we considered humanities a secondary subject that was a necessary evil in order to graduate; I found out that was not true,” says Joe Goldhammer ’60, who has contributed to the fund. “In order to get along in life, one needs to know how to communicate effectively, how to lead, know who we are and how we got to where we are as an individual, a company, a city and a nation. One needs to know and appreciate the finer things in life and understand how our civilization works. Humanities can teach us all this.”

In honor of Dr. Pegis, Tommy has generously offered to match all gifts or new estate intentions made to the fund before June 30, 2020. Memorial and tribute gifts such as this are a meaningful way to honor someone special with a gift in their name. This type of donation is a lasting tribute to a loved one and makes a difference at Mines Foundation.

Since the fund’s inception, 12 students have benefited from the generosity of 1960 class members and others who believe in the importance of humanities at Mines Foundation and the legacy left by Dr. Pegis.

“A memorial scholarship is a good way to honor and remember a person worth remembering,” says Joe.

For more information on making a gift to the Pegis Fund, please contact Colorado School of Mines Foundation at 303-273-3275 or giftplanning@mines.edu.