Shaping Possibilities: A Scholarship Legacy
Stevens holds a special place in the hearts of the Schlichting and Campbell families. To honor their bond to the university, Nancy Schlichting established an endowed scholarship in memory of John Schlichting ’44 and Augustus George Campbell ’27.
For Nancy, the scholarship is a significant tribute to her father and her cousin’s father and celebrates the profound impact Stevens has had on their families. The Kresge Foundation matched the family gift for the scholarship in honor of Nancy’s 18 years of service on its Board of Trustees.
“The scholarship is incredibly meaningful to all of us in our family,” Nancy said. “We know it is needed, and we want to continue to grow the fund so more students have support.”
Nancy’s father, John Schlichting, was born in Hoboken and lived the first few years of his life on Garden Street. It was the dream of his father, who owned the Schlichting Dairy in Hoboken, for John to graduate from Stevens. After attending Stevens Prep in Hoboken, he enrolled at Stevens and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
John worked as the first and only engineer at Great Lakes Carbon Corporation in New York. He next led a successful career at Babcock and Wilcox, an energy technology and service provider, for 37 years, working the first two years in New York City and then in Barberton, Ohio. He became a pioneer in the field of nuclear engineering, with eight patents to his name.
“Dad was a very well-trained engineer, and he became an inventor,” Nancy said. “His career was really wonderful. He was a good student. He took his learning at Stevens and applied it.”
Nancy’s father held a strong affinity to Stevens throughout his life. In 1945-46, he taught prescriptive geometry and engineering drawing at Stevens to servicemen returning from the war.
“With the G.I. Bill of Rights, many of the servicemen came to Stevens to study engineering and Dad was one of their teachers,” Nancy said. “That meant the world to him. It made him feel really good about the fact he did something to help the men who came home.”
John and his family returned to campus several times over the years. He was inducted into Tau Beta Phi, the national engineering honor society, in the early 90s and attended his 60th and 70th reunions.
“My dad was always so proud to give to Stevens,” she said. “He always had Stevens on his mind. And he loved, loved, loved the school.”
Augustus George Campbell was the father of Nancy’s only cousin, John Campbell. Gus graduated from Stevens eighth in his class. “If you asked my dad any day about Gus Campbell, he would say he was a prince of a man,” Nancy said. “He loved and admired him. He was a superb student.”
When Nancy’s father passed away in April 2020 during COVID, she started to think about what would make a meaningful legacy for him. “There was no question in my mind what it would be,” she said. “When I called my cousin John and told him that I wanted to name the scholarship endowment after my dad and his father, it meant more to him probably than anything.”
“Stevens has meant so much to all of us,” Nancy added.
The Schlichting-Campbell scholarship was awarded for the first time this fall to Andrew Cheney ’25, a mechanical engineering major. “I am grateful for this scholarship because I believe Stevens is the perfect fit for me,” Andrew said. “The scholarship allows me to focus on my education and experiences and worry less about the cost of attendance. It gives me peace of mind so that I can continue to push boundaries and accomplish more than I thought possible.”
“This scholarship is especially meaningful because it proves that hard work and dedication to learning and discovery can be recognized and rewarded,” Andrew said. “To be named a recipient of this scholarship gives me confidence and enthusiasm to continue to push forward in my studies and beyond, seeking experiences and opportunities that only Stevens can offer.”