Philanthropy coming of age at CSUB through gifts, bequests

By Jaclyn Loveless

A nurse, three elementary school teachers, one college professor, a real estate agent, and a housewife. What do they have in common? All are changing the face of CSUB by contributing to the future of its students through philanthropy. And it just goes to show you don't have to be a Warren Buffett or a Bill Gates to make a difference.

• It takes discipline to roll out of bed three days a week at 5:30 a.m. to exercise, but somehow Audrey Cochran manages to do it. For the past four years Cochran has swum two-thirds of a mile each time as a member of the Gold Wave Masters swim program in Bakersfield.

Proud of her 74 years, Cochran has been working hard to "dispel the image of older people puttering along the sidewalk with a cane." In fact, she has made it her passion.

She has helped establish The Robert and Edith Cochran Chair in Gerontological Nursing at CSUB, named after her late husband and mother-in-law. This is earmarked for a program within the nursing department to develop an improved gerontological curriculum. And thanks to Cochran, her family and friends she is already more than halfway to her $1 million goal. "My CPA said I'm crazy but I would rather use our estate to help pay for a faculty member than travel or buy stuff," she said. "Once the money is raised, someone with a Ph.D. in gerontological nursing will be hired and will serve as a link to the community, sharing information and raising the standards of care for the oldest generation."

Peggy Leapley, CSUB chair and nursing professor, said currently students learn about geriatric nursing during their sophomore year in the program, but additional teaching and projects are needed.

For Cochran, healthcare is familiar territory. She graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's of science in nursing in 1954 and worked as a nurse in Fresno before becoming a stay-at-home mom. She then took a refresher course in the San Francisco Bay Area and returned to acute care nursing while her children were in high school.

When the Cochran family moved to Bakersfield they made frequent trips to both ends of the state, helping aging parents deal with failing health and the healthcare system. Edith Cochran shared with her an article from the San Francisco Examiner describing the newly organized National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, whose members help families arrange care for their frail family members.

Cochran was so inspired by this story that she decided she wanted to become a geriatric care manager, and at 56-years-old would go back to school to get her master's degree at CSUB. "It was a big culture shock," she said. "I had difficulty adjusting after so many years away from the academic setting. I would grab the wrong bag with the wrong books for that day's classes, or leave my lunch on the counter at home."

Even though there was no gerontological emphasis at the time, Cochran created her own by finding older patients to work with and study. She enjoyed the experience so much she racked up an extra 50 class units in mental health and aging. Despite all those challenges, Cochran was the second person to earn her master's of science in nursing from CSUB in 1990.

And she's definitely living by her credo. Cochran currently runs her own nursing practice, Healthcare Planning and Education for the Elderly and their Families, volunteers as parish nurse at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and started a monthly support group for children of aging parents. That's just to name a few things she's working on.

She hopes through her efforts others will be inspired to improve healthcare for the elderly. And her advice to adult children who now have become more like caregivers to their parents: "You can't make your parents completely safe anymore than they could keep you safe when you were a teen-ager. It's important for them to remain active and engaged."

To contribute to the program make a donation to The Robert and Edith Cochran Chair in Gerontological Nursing at CSUB, c/o the CSUB Foundation, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield 93311-1022, or call (661) 654-2136 for more information.

• John Bertano would often leave his leftover pocket change in the cookie jar for neighborhood kids. He would tell them to take as much as they could hold in their hands. That's just the kind of people the Bertanos were.

And they continue to give. CSUB is the recipient of funds to establish a scholarship endowment fund in memory of the John and Angelina Bertano family. Mr. Bertano died in 2001 and his wife Angelina died in 2005. Their two children, Gary and Donna, preceded them in death.

"The Bertanos were long-term residents of Bakersfield who valued education and supported students who needed financial assistance to continue their education," wrote CSUB President Horace Mitchell in a campus update. "It is estimated that when funding is complete the endowment will exceed $300,000."

Mr. Bertano, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Italy, was a master sergeant in the army during World War II. The San Francisco entrepreneur and Mrs. Bertano were married after the war in 1946.

The couple returned to Bakersfield in 1952 and Mr. Bertano began to work in the poultry industry. He later became a real estate agent and a property developer.

"John always had a heart for people who wanted to continue their education," said Mary Lou Paquette, who met the Bertanos about 23 years ago at St. Philip The Apostle Church in Bakersfield. Paquette said Mr. Bertano was instrumental in helping young college students get their education.

Mrs. Bertano was "extremely hospitable and known for her wonderful holiday gatherings," she added. "Angie remembered the names of those she met and their families and faithfully kept them in prayer. …They were very quiet people who gave in silence and didn't expect anything in return." Paquette said the couple took a lot of people in as their own.

In addition to providing a scholarship for CSUB, the Bertanos donated to Bakersfield College and Garces Memorial High School.

• A couple that had a great influence on the local education community with their generous contributions and dedication will not soon be forgotten at CSUB.

Fred and Beverly Davis Dukes, former educators and CSUB scholarship contributors, both died last spring, but left a gift that will provide for generations of teachers to come.

The two established the Fred and Beverly Dukes Endowed Scholarship Fund at local community colleges and CSUB for students studying to become teachers. The Dukes contributed more than $100,000 to the university.

"They leave a remarkable legacy in terms of commitment and dedication to the education community, and dedication to service and to serving others in the community," said Mike Chertok, CSUB vice president for university advancement.

The Dukes also helped form the 60+ Club at CSUB in 1986, which serves as a link between the university and the community of retired people. "We'll miss their energy and the tasks that they did for us," he continued. "Their service was a true commitment. What they did was out of dedication, not to bring attention to themselves."

Born May 6, 1930, Mrs. Dukes graduated from Redlands High School in 1948. She went on to attend Randolph Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Va., for two years and returned to Redlands to complete her college work. She graduated with a teaching credential from the University of Redlands in 1952.

She was a physical education and health teacher with the Kern High School District.

Mr. Dukes was born on July 1, 1920, in Santa Maria. He received his bachelor's degree and a teaching credential from Whittier College and later a master's in educational administration from the University of Southern California.

He began his career in Bakersfield where he taught and counseled in the Bakersfield City School District. He became principal of Mount Vernon School in 1956. Later he served as principal of Millie Munsey, Peter Pan, and College Heights elementary schools.

On Dec. 21, 1963, the couple was married. Mr. Dukes was a principal with the Bakersfield City School District at the time and Mrs. Dukes resigned from her teaching position at the end of that school year.

Together they were active in the Congregational Church and the community.

Mrs. Dukes served as a board member to many community-based organizations including the Kern Epilepsy Society and the United Way. She was also involved with the Kern Division of the California Retired Teachers Association (CRTA) and CSUB's 60+ Club.

Mr. Dukes served as treasurer for the CRTA and helped secure scholarships for students wanting to become teachers.

After Mr. Dukes retired he spent years in service to CSUB, first as an advisor to student teachers, then on the scholarship committee, and as a member of the 60+ Club.

He received several honors including the Alfred Harrell Man of the Year Award for volunteer service from The Bakersfield Californian in 1986, and Outstanding Friend Award from CSUB in 1997.

The couple both received the CSUB 2003 President's Medal for their dedication and service to advancing education in the community.

• Dorothy Jane Jones was someone in the neighborhood many wouldn't have suspected had any money, said Barbara Oldfield while remembering her friend. Jones, who died last September at the age of 91, was a local retired teacher who pretty much kept to herself. She didn't spend any time on the CSUB campus, but those close to her knew her passion for education. Jones left a major gift to CSUB scholarships "for students acquiring a teaching credential in the School of Education." The distribution from the Dorothy Jones Trust to CSUB has now reached more than $1 million.

Though she will never see the significance of her gift, many CSUB students will be forever grateful. "Her generosity will benefit many generations of CSUB students who are preparing to become teachers and in turn benefit the students in classrooms all over our community," Mitchell wrote in his April campus update.

Jones married her husband, Eston, in 1939. They made their first home in Taft, later moving to Long Beach and then to Bakersfield. Eston was in the oil business and spent several years in Alaska at which time Jones remained at home and finished her college education. She went on to teach with the Greenfield School District.

Jones had a real passion for education and would work hard to ensure the children in her neighborhood were getting a good one. "She adopted the people around her," Oldfield said. She provided scholarships for students in the Taft area because of her "love" for that community." Oldfield said Jones felt people helped her in life and she wanted to give back. "She wanted to help everyone she could," she said. "No matter what she did she always wanted to leave it to the university. … She was really interested in the growth of CSUB."

Jones was an avid reader, did China painting, and needlework. She was a member of the California Retired Teacher Association and Order of the Eastern Star.

• Her friends say education was her life and legacy. Lorraine West, a founding faculty member of CSUB's School of Education, left $175,000 to the university to be used for scholarships for students in the School of Education.

West, professor emeritus, joined the California State College Bakersfield faculty in September 1970, when it first opened its doors. She earned her bachelor's degree from CSU Fresno and her master's in education from Stanford University. West taught courses in the elementary teacher education program, specifically language arts and social studies.

Following her retirement, she remained active and participated in many campus events. She was in the founding group of the 60+ Club. She was also on the first board of directors of the Center for Living and Learning.

"Lorraine was an intelligent, stimulating, perceptive, caring person dedicated to education but very private about her personal life," said friend and fellow 60+ club member Laura Brockmeyer. "From the beginning of 60+ she kept reminding the board since the university had been so generous in accepting 60+ as a campus organization, providing meeting space and other perks that, in turn, we should provide volunteer service to the university.

"She outlined what she had in mind, enthused us, took her plan to several departments and 'action network' became part of 60+. Her time and patience devoted to this has us serving athletics, Facility for Animal Care and Treatment, fine arts, the Walther Stiern Rose Garden, Well Core Sample Repository and short-term projects. In 20 years we have given 43,561 hours to the university."

For additional information on any of these scholarships, please call (661) 654-2136.