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Lasting Legacy<\/p>\n
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Family Inspires Statue Builder<\/h1>\n
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\u201cMy first memories of Washington State were going to the football games, which always included a visit to Butch\u2019s den to see the live cougar,\u201d remembered Gary Schneidmiller, a 1973 School of Economic Sciences alum.<\/p>\n
\u201cCougar Pride,\u201d the four-ton bronze mountain lion that adorns the entrance to WSU\u2019s Martin Stadium, sits exactly on the spot where Butch\u2019s den housed those original real-life felines in years past. If you\u2019ve ever posed for a photo in front of this huge, regal cat, you have Gary to thank for it.<\/p>\n
Honoring family, tradition<\/h2>\n
After earning a business degree from WSU in 1971 and a master\u2019s degree in agricultural economics before entering real estate, Gary stayed involved with his fraternity and the university. When he was handed the plans for the remodel of Martin Stadium, an idea struck him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed a blank spot labeled \u2018art piece,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cThe moment I saw it, I realized this could be a way to honor my parents. \u2018Cougar Pride\u2019 was the perfect representation of a WSU tradition, in the perfect place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Created by two Spokane artists, Mike and Chester Fields, \u201cCougar Pride\u201d honors Schneidmiller\u2019s parents, the late Manuel \u201cMannie\u201d and Gladys Schneidmiller. Both were dedicated Cougs.<\/p>\n
Back to the land<\/h2>\n![\"Gary](\"https:\/\/s3.wp.wsu.edu\/uploads\/sites\/2008\/2018\/01\/reconnect2018-banker-300x267.jpg\")
Gary Schneidmiller,\u201973 Economic Sciences, holds a photo of his father, Mannie, who served as a Marine in World War II. The original statue, built to honor Gary\u2019s parents, has pride of place next to Martin Stadium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGary\u2019s parents both grew up in large homesteader families who valued hard work and education.<\/p>\n
Mannie graduated with a WSU agronomy degree in 1941, then promptly went to Quantico, Virginia, to become an officer in the US Marines. During World War II, he rose to Lt. Colonel, commanding landing vessels at Tarawa, Tinian, Saipan, and Okinawa\u2014some of the bloodiest battles of World War II. After the war, Mannie returned to Washington and built a large grass seed business in the Spokane Valley area with his brother Elmer, also a Coug. It\u2019s still in the family today.<\/p>\n
Gary\u2019s mother, Gladys, received a scholarship to Washington State, but family finances led her to attend a Spokane business school, where she could work her way through. Education was always her passion, and Gladys was an enthusiastic volunteer for local school boards. Mannie, too, sat for nearly 30 years on water district, highway district, and professional associations.<\/p>\n
A lasting legacy<\/h2>\n
Mannie and Gladys were both benefactors of WSU, giving generously to support the university and many other organizations. Gladys and Mannie\u2019s most lasting legacy is a scholarship fund that has supported nearly 20 WSU students through college.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want the students who get this to stretch a little bit,\u201d Gladys told Gary, \u201cbut still have it easier than it was for me and your dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not a single recipient has failed to graduate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe that it\u2019s all a reality,\u201d wrote current WSU recipient Ethan Payton. \u201cI hope I make your family proud as I take this next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know my mom well,\u201d Gary replied. \u201cBut she would have been\u2014she is\u2014so excited for you.\u201d \u2665<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Heart ofa Coug<\/h2>\n
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For many Cougs, the bond with CAHNRS is part of a family tradition that spans generations.<\/p>\n
Meet families whose Cougar heart draws loved ones together, honors past pioneers, and inspires a new class of Cougs.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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\n\nConnecting with CAHNRS<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Find](\"https:\/\/s3.wp.wsu.edu\/uploads\/sites\/2008\/2018\/02\/facebook.png\")
Keep up<\/strong> with what\u2019s happening in CAHNRS.<\/a><\/div>\n \t \t \n \t \t<\/p><\/div>\n
Gary\u2019s parents both grew up in large homesteader families who valued hard work and education.<\/p>\n
Mannie graduated with a WSU agronomy degree in 1941, then promptly went to Quantico, Virginia, to become an officer in the US Marines. During World War II, he rose to Lt. Colonel, commanding landing vessels at Tarawa, Tinian, Saipan, and Okinawa\u2014some of the bloodiest battles of World War II. After the war, Mannie returned to Washington and built a large grass seed business in the Spokane Valley area with his brother Elmer, also a Coug. It\u2019s still in the family today.<\/p>\n
Gary\u2019s mother, Gladys, received a scholarship to Washington State, but family finances led her to attend a Spokane business school, where she could work her way through. Education was always her passion, and Gladys was an enthusiastic volunteer for local school boards. Mannie, too, sat for nearly 30 years on water district, highway district, and professional associations.<\/p>\n
A lasting legacy<\/h2>\n
Mannie and Gladys were both benefactors of WSU, giving generously to support the university and many other organizations. Gladys and Mannie\u2019s most lasting legacy is a scholarship fund that has supported nearly 20 WSU students through college.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want the students who get this to stretch a little bit,\u201d Gladys told Gary, \u201cbut still have it easier than it was for me and your dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not a single recipient has failed to graduate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe that it\u2019s all a reality,\u201d wrote current WSU recipient Ethan Payton. \u201cI hope I make your family proud as I take this next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know my mom well,\u201d Gary replied. \u201cBut she would have been\u2014she is\u2014so excited for you.\u201d \u2665<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Heart ofa Coug<\/h2>\n
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For many Cougs, the bond with CAHNRS is part of a family tradition that spans generations.<\/p>\n
Meet families whose Cougar heart draws loved ones together, honors past pioneers, and inspires a new class of Cougs.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Connecting with CAHNRS<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\nKeep up<\/strong> with what\u2019s happening in CAHNRS.<\/a><\/div>\n \t \t \n \t \t<\/p><\/div>\n
Keep up<\/strong> with what\u2019s happening in CAHNRS.<\/a><\/div>\n\t \t \n \t \t<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Find](\"https:\/\/s3.wp.wsu.edu\/uploads\/sites\/2008\/2018\/02\/instagram.png\")
Connect<\/strong> with former classmates and professors.<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Visit](\"https:\/\/s3.wp.wsu.edu\/uploads\/sites\/2008\/2018\/02\/www.png\")
Discover<\/strong> internships or jobs openings in your field.<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Share](\"https:\/\/s3.wp.wsu.edu\/uploads\/sites\/2008\/2018\/02\/twitter.png\")
Share<\/strong> your #CougHearted stories with us.<\/a><\/div>\n