Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa Barbara Ames, ’68 BARBARA AMES, '68 is a powerful advocate for education, cultural diversity, and other philanthropic causes. She recognizes the vital role education plays in creating strong communities and has demonstrated her commitment for many years— majoring in elementary education at PSU and teaching in an elementary school before raising her children. She and her husband, also a PSU alumnus, have never forgotten how their alma mater helped shape their perspectives, and develop the foundation for their professional lives. As founders and trustees of the Ames Family Foundation, Barbara and Gary Ames, ’67 have given generously to PSU. They established scholarships for Graduate School of Education students with academic merit, financial need, and multicultural experiences. They also funded the M.G. Hawkey Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Mrs. Ames’s mother, to support undergraduate students in education or other helping professions. Mrs. Ames meets with her scholarship recipients annually, inspiring them with her wisdom, commitment, and generosity. Because of Mr. Ames’s degree in finance, they funded scholarships and created Management of Innovation and Technology professorships in the School of Business Administration. In addition, they contributed to PSU’s Native American Student and Community Center. In 2006, PSU bestowed its Simon Benson Award on the couple for outstanding philanthropic leadership. On Bainbridge Island, Wash., Mrs. Ames supports the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers and Housing Resources Board. In New Mexico, she supports after-school programs through the Museum of International Folk Art and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Fe. She and her husband also serve on the board of ScholarLeaders International, a nonprofit based in Illinois and devoted to global theological education. 11
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