Smart students who dream of graduating from Michigan Law should have the opportunity to do so without worrying about how to pay for it, Stan Stroup, ’69, believes. Through their bequest gift to establish a Darrow Scholarship, Stroup and his wife, Sylvia, will help make some of those dreams come true.
Stroup is grateful that his parents paid for his education—support that he realizes is difficult for many of today’s parents.
“I’m concerned by how much a higher education costs these days. It’s out of reach for so many,” he says. “Making our gift to the Law School is a way to say thank you for all that the school has given me, and to help others obtain the same excellent Michigan education that I did.”
A Darrow is Michigan Law’s most prestigious scholarship, and can cover as much as full tuition plus a stipend for three years at the Law School. Darrow Scholars are chosen by a faculty committee for their outstanding scholastic achievements and proven capacity for leadership, as well as for the sense that they will go on to a remarkable career.
“It seems like every year, the caliber of students coming to Michigan is higher and higher,” says Stroup, who jokes that he spent all of his time in law school in the library, in order to keep up with others in his class.
At Michigan Law, Stroup developed an interest in commercial and corporate law that led to a career in the banking industry. He began working in the legal department of First National Bank of Chicago after graduation, before moving on to the Bank of California and Norwest Corp., where he served as executive vice president and general counsel.
After Norwest merged with Wells Fargo & Co., Stroup served as executive vice president and general counsel until his retirement in 2004.
“I loved the area of the law that I practiced, and I also loved working in a corporate environment, where I had one client that I could really get to know and advise in a broad way, instead of just on a case-by-case basis,” Stroup says.
In addition to academic training, Stroup says his time at the Law School also gave him an appreciation for diverse viewpoints that proved useful throughout his career.
“Learning to keep an open mind and see the other side of the story really helped me make decisions and resolve disputes. That’s hard to do if you always think you’re right.”
In addition to his bequest, Stroup is a loyal donor to the Law School Fund, Michigan Law’s annual source of discretionary support. As he reflects back on a happy and successful career, Stroup says that giving to Michigan, quite simply, is the right thing to do.
“I am really grateful for the education that the Law School gave me. Giving back is an opportunity to say thank you.”—AS
