Some people really are larger than life. Joe and Barb Mendelson are two such people. When they wanted to give to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, they asked what would do the most good. When they were told that the hospital desperately needed a new CT scanner, they didn’t hesitate.
But that wasn’t their first gift. After their dog, Scout, received treatment from Dr. John Oplinger (’79 DVM) at Wickenburg Veterinary Clinic in Arizona, the Mendelsons asked what they could do to help the profession. Dr. Oplinger asked them to give to his alma mater. They started a cancer research fund made in their dog’s name in 1996.
Over the years, Joe and Barb Mendelson have become loyal Cougars and dear friends of the college. When they first visited in 2009, they fell in love with the campus and with Pullman. And they wanted to find other ways to contribute to WSU. Joe now serves on the WSU Board of Governors and Barb is on the WSU Board of Trustees. She is also interested in supporting the good work in the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health.
The Mendelsons’ ties to the college run deep. Their current veterinarian Dr. Ron Faoro (’81 DVM) in Santa Barbara, Calif. is also a WSU alumnus. Although they have never brought a pet to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, they have shown extraordinary gratitude for what we do here. We couldn’t be more grateful to them.
Give now to the Joseph and Barbara Mendelson Endowment Research Fund in Honor of Their Dog Scout.