Bill and Roberta Witchger build on their history of generosity to Regis with a pledge of $500,000

We are delighted to share the first in a new monthly series highlighting the contributions of generous donors to Regis University. The investments made by these individuals, families, companies, foundations and other friends support today’s students and tomorrow's possibilities, building our foundation for excellence and growth.

I hope you’ll enjoy learning about the people behind the philanthropic commitments that strengthen our work and exemplify the Jesuit value of Cura Apostolica: Care for our institution and the entire Regis community.

This month, we’re celebrating Bill and Roberta Witchger, who established the Eugene S. Witchger Scholarship Fund in 2012 and have made generous gifts to sustain it every year since. The Witchgers recently pledged an additional $500,000 to support the program. This endowed scholarship makes it possible for traditional students with high financial need to pursue an undergraduate degree at Regis. It is fully renewable for up to four years.

To date, more than 30 Regis undergraduates, mostly studying business, have received a Witchger Scholarship award. In 1970, Bill graduated with a business degree from Regis College.

The Witchgers’ scholarship is named for Bill’s father, Eugene Witchger. From the family’s home base in Indianapolis, Eugene grew the family’s manufacturing company, Marian Inc, into a global operation with multiple sister companies around the world. Today, Bill is the chairman, and his son William II serves as president. In addition to giving generously as a family, the Witchgers have fostered a culture of philanthropy and social responsibility within their company, matching employee giving by a ratio of 10-to-one.

According to Bill, the family’s history of giving is rooted in his parents’ faith, further instilled in Bill through his own Jesuit Catholic education.

"I remember in my Jesuit high school, they quite frequently discussed the concept of 'men and women for others.' That stuck," he says. “My dad paid for my education. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it at that age. So, I figured that it’s the right thing to do -- to pass that on and to help some other people. Education taught me how to work, how to think, how to organize,” he continues. “It is a basis for a better living.”

Through the Eugene S. Witchger Scholarship Fund at Regis, the Witchgers have provided talented, deserving students of diverse backgrounds the chance to pursue a transformative education. This support eases the financial burden, allowing students to focus on academic achievement and purposeful lives after graduation. We are profoundly grateful to the family for so meaningfully demonstrating their commitment to Jesuit values, and for supporting the next generation of leaders and learners.

Kindly,

Salvador D. Aceves, Ed.D.
President