As a Marquette medical student in the 1950s, Joseph M. Pawlowski enjoyed his campus days. Now, through scholarship, his family is ensuring that his legacy makes the Marquette experience possible for the students of today and tomorrow.
Joseph and his older brother were first generation citizens, born shortly before the Great Depression to eastern European parents who put an emphasis on work ethic, education, and gratefulness. Joseph had a brilliant mind, a joyful demeanor, and was all about staying in school. “He absolutely loved medical school, recalled his friends from those days often, and felt a strong connection to Milwaukee,” his daughter, Jen, explains.
His parents’ example of volunteering within their communities inspired Joseph to pursue a purposeful life of education and philanthropy — an attitude he handed on to his children and grandchildren.
“Our dad faced personal and financial adversity, including being widowed in his early 30s with small children,” says his daughter, Cindy. “But he always forged through and was a very giving soul.”
As a good friend once told him in the simplest of terms, “Joe, you are a great guy.”
Shortly before his passing in 2007, Joseph set up a current-use scholarship at Marquette with Cindy’s help. Thanks to additional gifts from Cindy, Jen, their brother, Steve, and the wider Pawlowski family of seven children and many grandchildren, the Joseph M. Pawlowski Endowed Scholarship ’53 has now surpassed Marquette’s endowed fund level and continues to grow.
Paying it forward in honor
Joseph always said some of the nicest people he met were in the Midwest. His time at Marquette led to life-long friendships within his medical school fraternity and introduced him to his first wife, Milly, whom he married in 1953. The family scholarship, which supports students in the health sciences, reflects Joseph’s love for that area of study.
After graduating and spending time in the U.S. Navy out of state, he moved his young family back to Milwaukee in the early ‘60s. Following the death of his first wife, he later remarried and moved to California, eventually expanding his family to seven children and making a difference through his medical career and philanthropy. He remained a loyal annual supporter of Marquette even before establishing his scholarship.
“Dad always championed education for each of us and all of his grandchildren,” says Jen. “He was extremely generous to his alma mater, Marquette. I feel it is my life's mission to carry his legacy forward.”
That’s why Jen and her husband, Scott, requested scholarship donations in lieu of wedding gifts after her dad’s death. Jen has also donated in the form of securities or stocks from her father — her way of paying back his support.
It’s a goal her siblings share.
“Our dad never touted his successes or generosity, but his impact was and still is felt,” says Cindy. “I honor him by being in a position to help others, as he helped so many over the years: family, friends, strangers.”
This past year, Joseph’s son, Steve, organized his own fundraising campaign to match scholarship gifts from his six siblings. The reaction was overwhelming, spurring the family to raise more than $20,000 for their dad’s fund. In addition to the siblings, several grandchildren and family friends have also joined in.
“Our dad was so giving to all of us,” Steve shares. “We want to continue to support the scholarship and see it grow.”
Gifting bright futures
Joseph’s family believes scholarship can help chip away at the cost of today’s higher education, and they hope recipients may someday be in a position to support others in turn.
“No matter how small, a selfless act can go toward helping others.” – Cindy Stangl
“It’s also rewarding because the scholarship recognizes the effort and academic success of students in the health sciences,” Jen says. Her sister Cindy agrees, emphasizing that their dad’s belief in education and specifically in the sciences was omnipresent in his day-to-day life.
Last spring, the siblings met the scholarship’s student recipient by video.
“There is something special about being face-to-face, even virtually,” Cindy says. “It personalizes the gift and makes the sincerity and appreciation very real. Dad would be proud to know his endowed scholarship is financially sound and that so many of us are ensuring its viability for years to come.”