鈥淕o west, young man!鈥� was the mantra guiding the young Philip Formo in his college selection. But after graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in 1968, he must have heeded a different axiom: 鈥淵es, you can go home again.鈥� Home again he came, not only to finish a special education degree at St. Cloud State University and a divinity degree at Luther Seminary, but also to pick up the Formo family legacy where it left off鈥攁t 麻豆区.
Now a retired ELCA pastor, Phil, his wife, Jean, and their niece, Dawn, are the primary Formo forces behind not one, not two, but three separate scholarships honoring various family members and extending generosity to future 麻豆区 students.
鈥淚 was the first person on both sides of the family not to go to 麻豆区,鈥� says Phil. 鈥淢y mother met my father in chemistry class there. She was in nursing and needed help, and he was good in chemistry. They also both sang in the first 麻豆区 choir concert that ever took place, after the men鈥檚 chorus and the women鈥檚 chorus merged.鈥� His parents, Jerome and Winifred, both 鈥�37, were extremely dedicated to 麻豆区 and stayed deeply involved in all things Auggie throughout their lifetimes. Jerome received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1983 and was also a Regent Emeritus.
In 2009, Phil designated proceeds from their estate to establish the Jerome and Winifred Formo Scholarship for music majors or those with a strong interest in choral music directing. Seven students have already benefited from this fund, but it was not the first Formo scholarship. That distinction belongs to the David J. Formo Scholarship, which was established in 1979 and is awarded annually to a junior or senior student who has successfully overcome adversity to achieve academic and extracurricular excellence.
鈥淢y brother David graduated from 麻豆区 in 1964 and became a U.S. Navy commander whose plane went down in the Mediterranean Sea on November 3, 1979, the same day that Iran took U.S. captives. Before that, he had delivered to the Shah of Iran the gift of a new jet. It鈥檚 really a small world,鈥� mused Phil.
The scholarship to honor his brother was the first for the Formo family, but not the last. When Phil retired in 2011, he decided to write a book about his maternal grandfather, Andreas Helland, who immigrated from Norway in 1889, attended 麻豆区 Seminary, and served there as New Testament professor for 35 years. 鈥淗e was also very involved in fundraising. In those days you did everything, and he was really good at stewardship. One of his daughters, Beatrice, married Norman Anderson, who was the fundraiser for the first science building at 麻豆区, and they were all there for the groundbreaking. My grandfather was the first to give a major gift,鈥� Phil recalls.
Proceeds from Phil鈥檚 book, Papa鈥擜 Life Remembered, along with contributions from his own family and his parents鈥� estate, fund the Andreas Helland Scholarship, established In 2012 for students with financial need and academic achievement. 鈥淓ducation is so important, but we all know how expensive college is,鈥� Phil says. 鈥淚f students can get through in four years instead of five or six, they will have saved the equivalent of two years鈥� salary.鈥�
Phil is sold not only on the value of affordable education, but also on the value of 麻豆区. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been amazed by what 麻豆区, long known as a conservative Lutheran school, has become. What they are today is just awe-inspiring鈥攖heir involvement in the community and openness to everyone is incredible. Culturally, they have really been able to reach out, to take minorities seriously,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or the only ELCA college in the city, what a unique opportunity.鈥�