Dolores “Dee” Rudolph
Dolores “Dee” Rudolph was a fascinating woman. From avid bowler and accomplished artist to tireless volunteer and exceptional golfer, she was never one to shy away from taking on a new challenge. Even more remarkable, however, was her heart for Jesus and her selfless desire to help others—qualities that brought about a passion for Christian servant leaders at WLC.
Dee was a Milwaukee native and lifelong member of Atonement Lutheran Church, where she could always be found helping and encouraging fellow Christians. According to longtime friend Mary Gizewski, Dee was “a faithful servant her entire life.” She also served the City of Milwaukee as a pension counselor for her entire career of over 40 years, then volunteered every week at a local nonprofit resale shop upon retirement.
One of the ways Dee became acquainted with Wisconsin Lutheran College was through the Guest Artist Series in the Center for Arts and Performance; she was a season ticket holder for many years and subsequently became a faithful donor to the college. She deeply valued Christian higher education even though her own college education was put on hold for years due to family circumstances.
As she grew older, Dee felt inspired to make a lasting impact for Christian servant leaders at WLC. And as a faithful manager of the gifts God had given her, she was blessed to be in a position to make it happen. “Dee was born generous,” said Mary. “She worked so hard for what she had and was frugal—to a fault almost—but still enjoyed life.”
In time, Dee contacted the college’s development office to discuss her options for making a legacy gift. Working with a development officer, she decided to begin an endowed scholarship at WLC—a permanent fund invested so that the interest income will generate an annual award for one or more students in perpetuity. As one who had a keen interest in medicine—and as a proficient golfer, softball and tennis player, and a fitness advocate, Dee desired her scholarship to somehow support a student with similar passions.
She thought that the new sport and exercise science major at WLC would be a perfect fit for her interests and decided to designate the scholarship for students within that major who have financial need. Then she made a very generous gift to initially fund the Dolores E. Rudolph Endowed Scholarship.
As a result, in 2017, the scholarship began providing much needed financial assistance to one student each year. Annually, she received a letter from the student scholarship recipient sharing how the scholarship award had an impact on their lives.
Dee went home to heaven in February 2019, leaving behind a permanent legacy of selflessly serving others. Amazingly, her estate included an additional large gift to WLC, which will now allow her endowed scholarship to generate annual awards for at least three students—forever.
You, too, can help change lives in the same way that Dee did. Support for scholarships—whether now on an annual basis, in a large gift to establish an endowment fund, or through a legacy planned gift—will make an incredible difference for our students. If you would like to learn more about how you can invest in Christian servant leaders with a scholarship gift today—or later through your estate—please contact Richard Mannisto ‘94, Ed. D. at 414.443.8788 or richard.mannisto@wlc.edu.