New Endowed Scholarship at Central Honors Legacy of Pioneering Woman in Science – KNIA KRLS Radio
Central College has announced the establishment of the Janice Ellen Van Doorninck Rempe Hamilton Scholarship, a new endowed fund honoring a 1961 graduate who was a pioneer for women in scientific research.
The scholarship was created through a gift from the estate of Janice “Ellen” Rempe Hamilton, organized by her daughters, Mary Hamilton Giro and Holly Hamilton Inurreta. The fund received additional support from Hamilton’s cousins, Fred Van Doorninck Jr. and William Van Doorninck Jr., a 1963 Central graduate. The gift continues a philanthropic tradition for the family, who have established several scholarships at Central.
The scholarship celebrates Hamilton’s trailblazing career and will support students who demonstrate high aptitude and passion for research, particularly in the sciences. She was a member of the board of directors of the Meadows Foundation dedicated to the preservation of historic sites and Dutch heritage in Somerset, New Jersey. She also founded the Van Wickle Dutch Dancers that performed in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
For information about establishing an endowment or other legacy gifts, contact senior planned giving and major gifts officer Deb Calderwood at calderwoodd@central.edu or 641-628-5138.
A Pioneer in Science
At Central, Hamilton majored in zoology and showed a distinct talent for research. In 1960, she was one of just three students selected for a National Science Foundation grant to research wheat rust organisms under the guidance of the late Maxine Huffman, professor of biology and head of the natural science division. That same year, Hamilton studied abroad with a group led by the late Bill Wing, professor of French, before the college had formalized its international study programs.
After earning a master’s of science from Penn State University, Hamilton’s ambition led her to earn a second bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Rutgers University/Cook College at age 39. She later became one of the first women to pass the certified landscape architect exam in New Jersey. She and her husband, Bruce Hamilton, professor in the department of landscape architecture at Rutgers University, ran a landscape business in Somerset, New Jersey.
Multi-Generational Legacy
Hamilton’s family has multi-generational roots at Central. Her grandmother, Cornelia Lubberden Van Doorninck, attended the Central College Academy in the late 1800s. Her mother, Wilma Van Doorninck Rempe, served as secretary of the alumni association and was named college registrar in 1952.
