Campaign Update 
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Campaign Update [0]
Mary Louise Westhoven Rhodus looked youthful and fresh in her long-sleeved suit on a blistering June day in Columbus. After a few moments of conversation, one sensed that it had less to do with the fact that she lived year round in Arizona, than with an indomitable spirit that would not let anything as insignificant as weather keep her down.
Mrs. Rhodus, who came to campus this summer to honor the memory of her late husband and to forge her own bond with his alma mater, is all at once bold and thoughtful while reflecting on her gift to Ohio State.
The N. Wayne and Mary Louise Westhoven Rhodus Endowed Fund, to be established with over $1 million through a bequest from Mrs. Rhodus, will, she hopes, allow people "to study what they want to."
Annual income from the endowment will provide fellowships to graduate students in the field of applied mathematics, with preference given to students specializing in numerical analysis, in the College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
The gift makes Mrs. Rhodus the largest donor to the college's Department of Mathematics.
"It's very exciting for the department," said Robert Gold, dean of the college. "It's a recognition of some things we've done right, and a vehicle for doing some things even better."
"It will allow us to build on our strength in applied mathematics. It's a growing field, especially in the area of computer simulation. And this gift will help us to attract better students and enable them to spend more time on their studies and research," said Gold.
"I feel good about it," said Mrs. Rhodus. "Maybe when I'm gone, it will make it easier for some of these students to get their degrees. Education elevates us to earn a living. But we get the reward from doing what we enjoy."
Wayne Rhodus, who died in 1993, certainly enjoyed what he did, according to Mrs. Rhodus. After earning bachelor's and master's degrees and completing the doctoral course work in mathematics at Ohio State, Wayne went on to work for The Aerospace Corp., where he was involved with designing the Global Positioning System (GPS).
"I don't remember a week going by that he wasn't studying, even when he was retiring," recalled Mrs. Rhodus. "He had three things in life: his mistress, his sports, and me. His mistress was mathematics. I used to say, 'If he ever got rid of his mistress, he might have time for me!'"
Her husband only regretted that most of his 30-year work was --and still is-- highly classified, so he couldn't open that part of his life to his wife. But he could share with her one of his most cherished possessions: a plaque that was presented by NATO and the United States Military Branches in honor of his contributions as the designer of the GPS Constellation.
Now Mrs. Rhodus is sharing that achievement with students, faculty, and alumni of and visitors to the Department of Mathematics, which will display it. Dean Gold expects the plaque to inspire those students who may follow in this distinguished alumnus's footsteps. "Wayne Rhodus was certainly known and respected internationally for his work. Over and above that, he really loved mathematics. He was a true mathematician."
Mrs. Rhodus is equally as inspiring, Gold added. "She is a rare human being -- very sophisticated, yet very down-to-earth. And obviously very generous."
Ever gracious, she even traveled out to Columbus to participate in the plaque's dedication ceremony on a special, but poignant day for her -- the couple's 41st wedding anniversary "This is a little sad for me," she acknowledged. "But, this is a nice way to celebrate. Ohio State has once again made June 14th a great day."
When the couple met in 1956, Mrs. Rhodus, a native of Lancaster, Ohio, was the owner and director of the Doctors Building clinical laboratory in Findlay, Ohio. After they married in 1958, she paid his way through graduate school, all the while seeing him only on the week ends.
A successful career, an untouched inheritance from her father and her aunt, and wise investments have put Mrs. Rhodus in a position to make a difference for others. She believes she's made the right decision.
"I think, somehow, Wayne told me to do it," she said, "because I was so comfortable with [the gift]. If I hadn't been comfortable, I might not have gone ahead. He was always proud to say he was an Ohio State alumnus. So it's where the gift belongs."
"One of Wayne's top priorities in life was to leave the world a better place than he found it. I feel his life's work accomplished this to a degree. This gift will allow him to continue this for many years to come -- and I like that."
This article is excerpted from Campaign Update, a publication of The Ohio State University Office of Development.
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Department of Mathematics [0]