The idea for the scholarship originated from a friendship formed in the hospital. When alumnus Allan Apter (Business ’51) needed to stay in the hospital after a bad fall, he was roomed with Bill Clements, a community leader he was unfamiliar with. Through conversations, Apter learned Clements works as a tribal / cultural monitor for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. He recovers bones and artifacts from dig sites that construction uncovers; he led retrieval efforts in the Enbridge Line 3 Project across western Minnesota as well as the Twin Ports “Can of Worms” Interchange Project that each disturbed Indigenous burial sites. After extensively discussing Clements’ work with the local American Indian nations, Apter was inspired by Clements’s passion for the work the UMD Department of American Indian Studies (AIS) does.
Apter continued to reflect on their conversations after they went their separate ways, so he found Clements in the phone book to ask if he could create a scholarship to support AIS work at UMD in Clements's honor. Clements was moved by Apter’s request and desire to bring awareness to his work with the American Indian nations and preserving their history.
Apter was raised by philanthropic parents, and he continues to act on those values. He has previously established multiple Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE) scholarship funds in recognition of the needed background that the college provided him with in business world. After Clements encouraged him to move forward with the donation, Apter contacted LSBE Development Director Suzanne Anderson to ask about the process of establishing a scholarship to support AIS students.
As a lifelong Duluthian, Apter shared he has “developed a respect for the tribal needs. With UMD starting to rev up its American Indian Studies, it would make a lot of sense for me to engage in assistance to the program.”
When it came to setting parameters for the scholarship, Dr. Jill Doerfler (AIS department head) noted, “We wanted a broad scholarship that could be for majors and minors in American Indian Studies and Tribal Administration and Governance majors. We also wanted a simple and equitable process. We were thrilled to make the first awards for Fall 2024.”
Moving forward, the scholarship will be awarded annually. Assistant to the Lead Development Officer & Stewardship Coordinator Katie Laaksonen explained, “The fund does not dictate the number of awards, so the number of recipients could vary in future years as the payout grows or the unit opts to award a larger amount. However, Mr. Apter endowed the scholarship to ensure that students will receive scholarship support in perpetuity.”
Doerfler was touched by the endowment: “We know that most Americans have little knowledge about American Indian peoples and nations. Even today approximately 87% of state level history standards do not cover American Indian history post-1900. Often, once people learn more about contemporary issues, they want to get involved and help. Apter is a wonderful example of someone who took action after learning about the importance of AIS. The scholarship has already made a significant difference for two students, and that number will grow each year. This scholarship reduces the financial burden, so students are better able to focus on their studies and learning.”
Apter looks forward to seeing growth in the AIS program and hopes other philanthropists also see it as a valuable investment.