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Law school alumna donates large sum of money to scholarship fund

When Gayl Pyatt joined 73 others as the charter class of the SIU School of Law in 1973, she found a welcoming reassurance strong enough to overcome her fear and anxiety.

"We were all scared to death," Pyatt said. "We didn't have upperclassmen to go to and ask questions. But we had a wonderful leader [Hiram Lesar], and I think that made us closer."

Pyatt, now a practicing attorney in Pinckneyville, and her husband Richard Pyatt, recently donated $155,000 in stocks to The Charter Class: Campaign for Excellence Endowment, bringing the total fund to $250,000.

In 1996, the law school's inaugural class of 1976 began the endowment to commemorate its 20th anniversary.

As the law school's first fully endowed scholarship, the fund will provide one year of tuition and fees, approximately $9,000, for a new student.

At the request of the class, the scholarship money has been used to attract first- year students who excel academically to the law school.

Elizabeth Murphy, director of Alumni Affairs, said the scholarship is the first of its kind as the law school has not traditionally focused on scholarships specifically for attracting new students.

The law school has been awarding partial scholarships to new students since the endowments establishment in 1996. The first full scholarship will be awarded this upcoming year for the 2005-2006 school year.

Scott Kruger said not only would the scholarship fund benefit the law school and potential students; it also speaks highly of Pyatt and her fellow classmates.

"It's a great honor," said Kruger, director of development at the law school. "I think what Gayl has done to honor her class is significant and appropriate for an extraordinary group of students who, in 1973, took a chance and began their legal studies at a brand new law school. It's pleasing to see not only our graduates doing so well, but also the law school doing well."

Pyatt, who also serves as the city attorney for Pinckneyville, said she values her degree from the University and the warmth she found while attending the law school and wanted to help give back.

"I felt that I had very caring and competent teachers," Pyatt said. "I value that and I believe in giving back to universities who need private gifts to be excellent."