Joe Mendelson

Joe Mendelson’s generosity has opened doors to the future for WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, students, and research programs for more than two decades. Through transformational contributions, Mendelson and his wife, Barb, have supported the college’s mission by creating opportunities and empowering innovation across its veterinary programs. Though neither attended WSU, the Mendelsons made their first gift to the college in 1996 in honor of their dog Scout, who had been treated by alumnus Dr. John Oplinger (’79 DVM) in Arizona. In 2010, the couple made an extraordinary donation for the purchase of a state-of-the-art 16-slice spiral CT scanner that exponentially improved the Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s diagnostic capabilities for small and large animals. When the Mendelson’s whippet, Pre, died in 2013, the couple honored their beloved pet with an additional gift. Mendelson is a personal investment manager and a WSU Foundation Advocate Emeritus. He and Barb are passionate about Standardbred horses and Whippets.