Mathematics alumni Carol Brennan and John Crowe announce major gifts

Department of Mathematics alumni Carol Brennan and John Crowe have made separate major gifts to Florida State University, said Assistant Dean Nancy Smilowitz.

Retired telecommunications executive Carol Brennan of Piscataway, N.J. has made a provision in her estate plans for $89,000 to fund an endowment for general uses within the interdisciplinary FSU-Teach program. Brennan received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Department of Mathematics and established the J.B. Brennan endowment in honor of her late father “because he was always interested in helping young people.”

John and Betty Crowe of Memphis, Tenn. have committed $100,000 to benefit academic and athletic programs at FSU. The academic portion of the gift ($50,000) will fund the DeWitt Sumners Endowment within the Department of Mathematics. Sumners, a former chair of the department and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor, was influential to John Crowe during John’s time at FSU, and the funds will support scholarly activities of the department chair.

John received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the department, and Betty received her bachelor’s degree from the College of Human Sciences. John also played football for the Seminoles, so the athletic portion of their gift endows a football scholarship named in honor of the Crowes’ children, John Jr. and David Ryan.