Mildred C. Ames Scholarship Endowment

Mildred C. Ames labored through textbooks with a thick magnifying glass for 11 years before she died a few credits short of becoming Idaho State University's oldest ever graduate. She had earned her teaching certificate from the now defunct Albion Normal School in 1927 and had no need for another degree when she sold her Idaho Falls-based jewelry store in 1983. She enrolled in ISU's business college at the age of 76 simply because she enjoyed learning and keeping her mind sharp. Mrs. Ames was legally blind but valued the kindness of her professors and fellow students. She always considered herself a businesswoman. In 2002, Ron Carlson, Mildred's nephew, endowed a scholarship as an everlasting memorial and tribute to this remarkable woman.