MSU Forestry Bequest
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EmailA realized bequest of $332,916 will add to the Eleanor M. and Wilhelm M. Beckert Forestry and Horticulture Endowed Scholarship Fund, supporting scholarships for first year students.
A realized bequest of $332,916 will add to the Eleanor M. and Wilhelm M. Beckert Forestry and Horticulture Endowed Scholarship Fund, supporting scholarships for first year students.
Wilhelm Beckert earned his master of science in forestry from MSU in 1958. Prior to MSU, he was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving in the South Pacific. A registered forester, he spent his career working not only to manage and preserve America’s parks and wilderness areas, but also to educate people about their role in making sure those areas are in place for future generations.
Mr. Beckert started his career with the Michigan Conservation Department’s State Parks Division. He was assistant state park superintendent for the Oregon State Parks and director of the Idaho State Parks. He concluded his career with Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada. Mr. Beckert died February 24, 1997.
Eleanor Beckert earned her bachelor of science degree from MSU in 1940. During World War II, she worked as a bacteriologist for the Michigan Department of Health in Lansing. After the war, she worked for Jackson, MI City Health Department and then the Michigan Department of Health, before moving to Oregon. Mrs. Beckert passed away in April 2019.
The Beckerts were firm believers in education throughout one’s life, a legacy supported by this bequest.
