NEW PALTZ — Louis and Mildred Resnick, the Ellenville couple known for their generosity and service in Ulster County and beyond, were the focus of well-deserved attention Thursday at the State University of New York at New Paltz, first at a mid-day scholarship luncheon and later at the dedication of the new engineering hall, named in their honor.
Sixty students at the State University of New York at New Paltz, most of them freshmen or transfers, were invitees to a scholarship awards luncheon, which recognized them and honored the local couple who made possible most of the awards.
For 12 years, SUNY New Paltz students have been receiving Resnick scholarships, the result of endowments established by the Ulster County couple. Their donations have created the Joseph Y. Resnick Fund, the Mildred and Louis Resnick Fund, the Resnick Health Sciences Scholarship, and the Peg Leg Bates Scholarship Fund. The Trudy Resnick Farber Scholarship was established by Harry and Marcia Resnick in honor of their daughter Trudy Resnick Farber. A total of 48 students received these awards this year.
In addition, 12 students, all recipients of scholarships beginning in 1997 or 1998, under the Adopt-a-Scholar program, were recognized as were the individuals who sponsored the 12 four-year scholarships.
Jeanette Unger, a 1996 Resnick scholarship recipient spoke about the importance and meaning of her award. Eli Basch, chairman The College at New Paltz Foundation, discussed the role scholarships play in building a strong academic community.
Louis and Mildred Resnick have long exemplified the true meaning of philanthropy: to do good for others in practical ways. Born to Russian immigrant parents who migrated to Ulster County around the time of World War I, both spent their formative years and their early adult lives in relative poverty. Scholarship aid enabled Louis Resnick to attend the State University of New York Agricultural and Technical College at Delhi, from which he graduated in 1930.
In 1945, Louis Resnick, along with his two brothers, Joseph and Harry, founded one of the most influential companies in television history–the Channel Master Corporation. That company, known nationwide for the television antennae in manufactured, was a major economic benefit to the Ellenville community for many years. Building Channel Master took
Louis Resnick from hardscrabble farmer to successful business executive and gave him and Mildred the financial resources that have enabled them to carry out their extensive philanthropies.
Annually, the couple contributes financially to many worthy causes. However, over the years, their concern for others has extended far beyond monetary contributions. They have most willingly given of their time and their energy in projects that serve the local community.
Louis Resnick served for two terms as a member of the Ulster County Legislature and is also a former chairman of the Ulster County Democratic Party. Mildred Resnick is the chapter founder of the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for Cancer at the American Medical Center at Denver and has chaired the March of Dimes Fundraising campaign. Both are active in a variety of community projects and organizations. In 1985, Louis Resnick was the recipient of the State University of New York Distinguished Citizen Award.
SCHOLARSHIP BACKGROUND/RECIPIENT INFORMATION
The Joseph Y. Resnick Fund Scholarships were established in 1986 and are awarded primarily to freshmen who graduate from Ulster County high schools and transfer students from Ulster County Community College. The awards are based on financial need as well as academic and extra-curricular considerations.
Recipients of the 1998 Joseph Y. Resnick Scholarships are Sara Arciuolo, Highland; Pamela Baker, West Hurley; Bonita Banerjee, Scotia; Jennifer Dreher, Walden; Judith Edelstein, Cortlandt Manor; Pamela Furman, West Nyack; Devin Gertler, New Paltz; Thomas Hanley, Poughkeepsie; Christopher Harrigan, Seaford; Lyn-Marie Kiefer, Wappingers; Joella Knapp, Piseco; Jill Magaletta, New Paltz; Melissa Mansfield, Poughkeepsie; Bonnie McCarthy, Delevan; Robin Meade, Thompson Ridge; Melissa Metcalf, Sidney Center; Lindsay Nelson, Crystal, MN; Mary O’Connell, Catonsville; Manish Patel, Clifton Park; Oleg Protopopov, Brooklyn; Anna Scretching, Nyack; Craig Seablom, Rosendale; Aimee Smith, Mount Tremper; Laurie Stankavage, Sidney; Raphiel Tranchese, New Lebanon; Jaclyn Trainor, Newburgh; Lauren Tuininga, Albany; Lauren Urban, Pearl River; and Karyn Velasquez, Hopewell Junction.
The Mildred and Louis Resnick Foundation Fund Scholarships program, which began in 1989, established scholarships for freshmen students with good academic achievement and outstanding records of accomplishment and promise in the fine and performing arts or humanities. Subsequent scholarships were established, in 1993, for freshmen and transfer students studying in the fields of engineering and health careers.
Thirteen students have been chosen to receive the 1998 Mildred and Louis Resnick Scholarships. They are Ryan Berryann, Nicole Brocco, Tina Ferraro, Susan Hughes, Shane Kiernan, Tenaya Lewis, Doresa McCombs, Lisa Michaels, Alina Postula, Nancy Smith, Patricia Spinard, David Winters, and Marian Zajac.
The Peg Leg Bates Scholarships honor Clayton (Peg Leg) Bates, a resident of nearby Kerhonkson who lost one of his legs as a child, but made a career for more than three decades as a successful tap dancer, appearing in night clubs and concert halls throughout the United States and Europe.
Three students were selected to receive the 1998 Peg Leg Bates Scholarship: Linda Daniel, New City; Ji Youn Lee Lee, Bayside; and Camille Suckie, Mount Vernon.
The Peg Leg Bates Endowment Fund, part of the College’s Multicultural Recruitment Program scholarship awards, is designed to provide financial support to freshmen students who represent ethnic minorities, have financial need, and have achieved superior academic records.
The Trudy Resnick Farber Fund Scholarships, established in 1989, are awarded to students from Ellenville in memory of the daughter of the donors, Harry and Marcia Resnick. Three students were chosen to receive the 1998 Trudy Resnick Farber Scholarships. They are Roxanne Hart, Amanda Hook, and Melissa Tice.
In addition to the various Resnick scholarship recipients honored at the luncheon, Adopt-a-Scholar awardees and their donors were also recognized. The Adopt-a-Scholar program targets academically outstanding high school students who have applied to the College, and matches them with individuals who are interested in encouraging scholarship opportunities at SUNY New Paltz. Donors agree to contribute $1,000 annually toward educational expenses for four consecutive years, assuming the recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements.
Students who are the recipients of this year’s scholarships are Meaghan Cleveland, of Fairport, sponsored by J. Philip Zand; Sean Finneran, of Clifton Park, sponsored by Norman Kellar; Lauren Haimelin, of Fishkill, sponsored by Marlene Brown; Morgan La Femina, of Newburgh, sponsored by Dwight Lodge; Christin Marchica, of Oceanside, sponsored by Wendell Van Lare; and Matthew Ziegler, of Putnam Valley, sponsored by Bruce Orenstein.
