Hartman Foundation supports Kilcawley Center with $1 million Gift

The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation has made a significant gift of $1,000,000 to The Kilcawley: Centered on the Future Campaign at Youngstown State University.

In recognition of this gift, “the rock” area outside Kilcawley will be recognized as the “Marjorie Hartman Plaza”.

“Kilcawley Center has been the heart of the YSU experience for generations, and gifts like this ensure it will remain the heart of our campus for generations to come. The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation has been an extraordinary partner to YSU, and this latest investment not only helps transform this iconic space, but also permanently connects Marjorie Hartman's legacy with one of YSU's most cherished facilities and traditions,” said YSU President Bill Johnson. “Every student who gathers, celebrates, or simply walks through Marjorie Hartman Plaza will experience the lasting impact of a family that believed in YSU and invested in its future.”

“The Rock” – first known as Tradition Rock – is a glacial boulder that was excavated during the construction of Kilcawley Center in 1966. The Student Government requested that it be kept on campus, and it was placed on the amphitheater side of the building, where students walk by it every day. One year later, in the dead of night, members of a fraternity painted the boulder. This act of apparent vandalism heralded the beginning of a new tradition: painting the rock. The rock has been painted for over 50 years for student organizations, special events, or to share different points of view.

“The gifts being made to YSU for the Biology department, the pre-vet Society and the Scholarship funds will provide a lasting legacy to Marjorie’s love of animals; Marjorie loved seeing a dog happily running and playing,” said Attorney Thomas Lodge, a trust advisor for the Hartman Family Foundation. “The naming of “Rock Plaza” will keep Marjorie’s legacy alive on the YSU Campus and in the minds of all who support the mission of education and the care of animals.”

Marjorie Hartman was born on July 4, 1922, one of three daughters born to James and Margaret Hill. She married Ensign Willis Hartman in July of 1948. After being widowed in 1963, Marge worked as an EKG Technician for Trumbull Memorial Hospital and later became a self-employed dog groomer.

The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation has helped fund, with over $2 million, a variety of pre-veterinary offerings at YSU. The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation Scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in the pre-vet program with a major in biology or chemistry. Two separate endowments for the Pre-Veterinary Society fund both the Pre-Veterinary Society's operations, support, and projects, and an advisor. The Pre-Veterinary Society Endowment includes the Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation Pet Clinic, a once-a-year event held on YSU’s campus that provides pet owners in the Mahoning Valley with low-cost vaccines for their animals. Inside Ward Beecher, a wing in the biology department was also dedicated to her and is formally known as the Marjorie Hartman Wing.

With this most recent gift, the Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation has given over $3 million to YSU and the YSU Foundation.