BUFFALO, NY - Ryan Wolf ’12 had the good fortune of being taught by Melvin (‘Mel’) Schroeder. The late associate professor of English had a devoted following of students and alumni before he passed in 2011.
“I took his All-College Honors course on the work of William Butler (W.B.) Yeats,” Wolf recalls. “After class, I would visit Dr. Schroeder in his office to discuss music, literature and life. He was incredibly supportive of my creative work.”
Schroeder’s teaching legacy lives on via the Mel Schroeder Memorial Scholarship. Established in 2012, the scholarship provides funding for two Canisius students to attend the Yeats International Summer School in Sligo, Ireland.
“As a mixture of adventure and education, it presented an exciting opportunity to live within the land and culture that inspired Yeats’ poetry,” adds Wolf, an inaugural recipient of the scholarship.
During the two-week program, students engage in poetry and drama workshops, lectures and seminars, with a particular focus on Yeats, one of the most prominent poets of the modern age.
“To study in the city where Yeats’ family was from opened up a whole new world for me,” recalls Joseph Hassett ’64, PhD, who participated in the Yeats school when he was a Canisius student. “It was life changing.”
To ensure the same opportunity for future students, Hassett provided the lead gift to establish the Mel Schroeder Memorial Scholarship, and continues to support the fund annually.
You too can help keep the legacy of this beloved professor alive with a gift to the Mel Schroeder Memorial Scholarship.
To learn more, click here or contact Rachel Flammer, director of stewardship, at 716-888-8217.
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