Former Abilene High School teacher gifts $200,000 to Emporia State.
A devoted alumnus of Emporia State University has left the university a remarkable gift for student scholarships through the realization of two insurance policies. Robert Chatham, who passed away Aug. 21, 2021, set the stage for his $200,000 gift to the ESU Foundation back in 1993, when he took out two policies – $100,000 to provide for student scholarships within ESU’s departments of biological sciences and mathematics and $100,000 for student-athlete scholarships among the minor sports (all sports except football and basketball). He taught for 34 years at Abilene High School, where he encouraged many Abilene students to attend ESU. He was known as “Mr. ESU” for his love of his alma mater and his continued support of ESU and was recognized in 1987 with the University Service Citation award. He was a fixture in the stands of most ESU athletic events, and was a regular donor to the university.
