Kessler Presidential Scholarship & Student Center

Kessler's Modern Meaning

by Kyle Kamposh

"It was one of the most meaningful things that ever happened to me in my life,” said Fred Wilpon, the former long-time owner of the Mets Baseball Team (“A $40 Million Gift). Given the history of the baseball tycoon nicknamed “Freddy Coupon,” it is natural to assume that he is talking about money, but what the “it” actually is comes completely out of left field: helping first-generation college students. Fred Wilpon, along with his wife Judy Kessler Wilpon, founded the Kessler Presidential Scholarship in 2007 through a donation given to the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) ("Kessler").

The scholarship is named after Judy's parents Irene and Morris B. Kessler. Despite struggling financially to put her and her sisters through college, the Kessler sisters y were still able graduate from the university’s college of LSA ("Kessler"). This, combined with Fred Wilpon being a first generation college student himself, is what led to both the mission and name of the Kessler Presidential Scholarship.

Fred Wilpon (seated third from the left) and Judy Kessler Wilpon (second from the left) at the Kessler Student Center naming ceremony, 9 Sept. 2023. Photo courtesy: Go Blue Photos

Kessler Student Center sign (April 2023) by Kyle Kamposh.

In fall of 2022, a new extension added onto the LSA building was dedicated as the Kessler Student Center. The goal of the center is for Kessler scholars to have a space where they can engage in community with one another in an area made just for them. The dean of the college of LSA, Anne Curzan, spoke at the space dedication, saying it is "a place where students can come and study. They can meet friends. They can get information... So, in that way... the Kessler Student Center resonates with the vision of the Kessler Scholarship Program” (Mintz).

The mission of the scholarship is to aid first-gen students in three main categories: financial, communal, and guidance (needs source). The first is the most obvious when the term “scholarship” comes to mind. Because many first-generation college students cannot afford to go to a large university, the scholarship first aims at helping those students be able to go to school. The communal aspect of the scholarship is aimed at providing first-gen students with a community of individuals who come from similar backgrounds (needs source). This is done by the various events that are constructed for just this purpose, as well as a required 20 hours of “community engagement,” which includes community service as well as attending Kessler events. The last category, guidance, is to give Kessler scholars the advice and experience that other students get from their parents’ college experiences. This includes things like a first-year seminar, advising appointments, and the peer-mentor program (needs source).

While the surname “Kessler” is an old occupational name with Ashkenazie roots from Old German origin meaning kettle maker ("Kessler Surname"), the Kessler Presidential Scholarship got its name from people who supported the mission of the scholarship, aiding first generation college students with all of the problems that are unique to them, such as a lack of financial stability, community, and guidance. The scholarship itself has little to do with the traditional meaning of the word “Kessler,” however because of this the name has taken on a new meaning at the university. One of support, hard work, community, and of pride in being first-gen. With the scholarship now being awarded at 16 schools across the country (Nietzel), I'd say the name is well on its way to cementing its modern meaning.

Works Cited

“A $40 Million Gift Will Help 1st-Generation Students at the University of Michigan.” NPR, The Associated Press, 28 Oct. 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/10/28/1050008655/40-million-university-of-michigan-first-generation-fred-wilpon.

"Go Blue Photos," 9 Sept. 2022, https://michiganphotostore.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/LSA-KesslerNamingCerm22/G0000ZNs950rIGOs/I0000xW_6ZF7n0I0/C0000.xkjZozx320. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.

Kamposh, Kyle. Photo of the Sign of the New Kessler Student Center. 7 Apr. 2023. Author’s Personal Collection.

"Kessler Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History." Forebears. https://forebears.io/surnames/kessler.

"Kessler Presidential Scholarship Fund copy." UM LSA: Prospective Students: Scholarships. https://lsa.umich.edu/scholarships/prospective-students/irene-and-morris-b-kessler-presidential-scholarship-fund-old.html

Nietzel, Michael T. “The Kessler Scholars Program Expands to Ten More Leading Colleges and Universities.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 Apr. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/04/13/kessler-scholars-program-to-expand-to-ten-new-colleges-and-universities/?sh=56027244f589.

Mintz, Rachel and Bobby Housel. “UMICH Welcomes New Kessler Student Center.” The Michigan Daily, 14 Sept. 2022, https://www.michigandaily.com/campus-life/new-kessler-student-center-welcomes-first-generation-students-campus-community-to-lsa-building-location/.

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