The Dorothy and Phillip Law Memorial Endowed Fund was established to provide a scholarship for a full-time undergraduate student majoring in nursing, preferably in their junior year.
WMU alumna and emerita, Dr. Linda Law, established the fund in 2007 as a tangible gesture of her appreciation for WMU and the value she placed on her education from the University, in the name of her parents, Dorothy Neher and Phillip Law.
Dorothy and Phillip Law met while serving on the same ship, the Wisteria, during WWII. She served as a commissioned nurse and he as a staff supply sergeant. Dorothy made thirteen complete crossings of the Atlantic Ocean and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant in 1946. Phillip was also honorably discharged the same month. Dorothy and Phillip were married for more than 52 years and lived their entire married life in Kalamazoo. Their children, Dr. Law and Gary Law are both graduates of Western Michigan University.
Dr. Law began her career with Western in 1975 in the Women’s Physical Education Department. After spending a few years at the University of Northern Iowa to obtain a master’s degree, she married in 1978 and began work on her doctorate degree. Her goal of returning to WMU was realized in 1985 when she joined the faculty in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Dr. Law was the coordinator of the recreation program, teaching core courses, working closely with students as they completed their degrees, and providing assistance locating internships that would give students an important start to successful careers. She also enjoyed sharing with her students her passions of outdoor experiences and working with older adults.
For more than 25 years, Dr. Law taught an outdoor leadership class in canoeing, as well as beginning and intermediate backpacking classes. She led canoe trips throughout Southwest Michigan and backpacking trips to the Manitou Islands in the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, the Michigan Shore-to-Shore Riding and Hiking Trail, Isle Royale National Park, and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
In one of her courses, Recreation for the Aging, Dr. Law introduced her students to characteristics of aging and retirement by involving them with older adults in Greater Kalamazoo. Students coordinated holiday parties and other social events in retirement communities, day care centers, assisted living homes, and senior centers. In addition, each year they participated in the annual Senior Prom at WMU. Dr. Law retired in 2007 and set up an endowment in her parents’ names to continue to help students realize their dreams.