1881 Society Spotlight—Edward R. Sedlmayr BS EE ’47

Edward R. Sedlmayr entered the Newark College of Engineering in the 1940s, a time of sweeping change and great uncertainty in the world. When Ed graduated in 1947, he did so with a valuable electrical engineering degree in hand—and a special charge from the President of NCE at the time, Dr. Allan R. Cullimore: “It is, however, particularly necessary for those men and women who are engaged in technological work to appreciate that this world must have help … There is no greater contribution that you can make in this world than to help somebody who needs help,” (The Nucleus, 1946).

Ed carried these powerful words with him throughout his lifetime, putting them to use professionally in his capacity as a division manager with AT&T. Ultimately, he chose to honor them further by establishing the Edward Sedlmayr ’47 Scholarship with a gift to NJIT through his will. The scholarship provides much-needed financial assistance to a deserving undergraduate student in the Newark College of Engineering, offsetting the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board.

Scholarship support was particularly meaningful to Ed because he, too, was a scholarship recipient and would not have been able to continue his studies without financial assistance. After careful consideration, Ed chose to endow the Sedlmayr Scholarship by naming NJIT as the beneficiary of his individual retirement account (IRA)—a simple act that allowed him to leave a legacy at the university.

Making charitable gifts from an IRA offers tax advantages to many individuals and can be a very simple process with lasting effects on the faculty and students at NJIT. For further information on including NJIT in your estate plan, please contact Beth Kornstein, Associate Vice President of Planned Giving, at bkornste@njit.edu or by phone at (973) 596-8548.