Endowed Professorships, Medical Technology in the Medical School at the University of Minnesota

Mildred King met Carl Rohwer while attending the First Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Kansas. In the words of Mr. Rohwer "It seemed destined that we were both to be there that same evening and my life changed the moment I saw her." They were married in 1951 in Wichita. Although Mrs. Rohwer did not seek employment after her marriage, she remained active with her family, friends, church groups and book clubs. Mr. and Mrs. Rohwer enjoyed traveling and she was especially fond of the Southwest.

Mr. and Mrs. Rohwer continued to be active supporters of the Medical Technology program over the years through numerous contributions to our scholarship funds. In 1987, Mildred and Carl Rohwer established a $250,000 bequest to fund the professorship that bears her name. At that time, Mrs. Rohwer was in failing health, and she died of leukemia on December 1, 1987. Over the years, Over the years, Mr. Rohwer has continued to be a wonderful benefactor to our program, and in honor of his wife of 37 years, he recently began providing additional funds to change the professorship to an endowed chair position, something he says he knows would have pleased her. Mr. Rohwer stated he does not know how much more he could have been blessed than by meeting Mildred King and having her as his wife for 37 years. The Division of Medical Technology has also been blessed by the support given by both of the Rohwers over the years. The Mildred King Rohwer Endowed Chair in Medical Technology is the first of its kind in the country and provides for the continued excellence of the Division of Medical Technology and its' faculty. We are grateful to the Rohwers for their generosity to the University of Minnesota's Medical Technology Program.

Mrs. Cooke also fondly remembered her late father-in-law, Dr. Louis J. Cooke, Sr. This gentleman, for whom Cooke Hall, a University of Minnesota athletic building, is named, was instrumental in starting basketball at the U of M, where beginning in 1897, he coached for 27 seasons. During this time he had ten national championships. "Doc" Cooke was also the initiator of the student health service of the University. This 1905 photograph of Dr. Louis Cooke (right) and Fred Schweitzer (left) was taken in their office. The office was located in the Armory, home of Physical Education from 1897 to 1934 when the athletic building, Cooke Hall, was built. Note the turn of the century furniture and "Little Brown Jug" hanging from the ceiling.

Dr. Karen Karni, former MT Program Director, described Mrs. Cooke as self-effacing, candid in her opinions, and without pretenses. Gracious in manner, she did not wish to be recognized - in a public way - for her generosity. In 1991, Mrs. Cooke provided the Division of Medical Technology with funds to establish a scholarship in her name. One of her goals for the scholarship program was for awardees to eventually repay the money if they were able to do so in order to help future students. Mrs. Cooke always enjoyed hearing about the lives of the students who had benefitted from the Cooke scholarships.

In 2000, Mrs. Cooke gave the Division additional monies to fund the Yvonne Chenoweth Cooke Endowed Professorship. Yvonne Chenoweth Cooke died February 9, 2002, but through the endowed professorship and endowed scholarship, she left a lasting legacy to the Division of Medical Technology. Her magnanimous gifts will continue to be significant and substantial componenets of the Division, its students and the Cooke Endowed Professor in Medical Technology.