Frank and Marie Bevilacqua increase support of their scholarships at the University of Akron

Longtime University of Akron benefactors and distinguished alumni Frank and Marie Bevilacqua have generously decided to increase support to their scholarships in the Buchtel College of Arts and Science and the College of Business. 

In an article posted to the University of Akron’s website, Frank talked about the couple’s decision, saying, “Our lives have been touched and enhanced in so many ways by The University of Akron. Marie and I know what solid educational foundations can produce in young people. The University is an outstanding example of an institution committed to shaping young adults and preparing them to win professionally.”

Frank earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance in 1972 and 1974, respectively. He established Winer and Bevilacqua (now W3 Global Accounting) in 1980 with his longtime friend and college classmate Ron Winer. In 2001 Frank also founded W3 Wealth Management, LLC, a financial services and investment company.

Marie earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Elementary Education in 1971 and 1974, respectively. She then went on to teach at Akron Public School and St. Francis de Sales Catholic School before she became a bookkeeper for Winer and Bevilacqua, Inc. She later became a stay at home mother, a job in which she used her knowledge and experience to give their children a solid educational foundation. 

University of Akron President Gary L. Miller spoke on the Bevilacquas, saying, “The Bevilacquas are outstanding leaders and active alumni. I am deeply appreciative of their lasting commitment to the University and to higher education.”

The Frank P. and Marie Bevilacqua Endowed Scholarships in Education and Accounting were both established back in 2006. The scholarships help students with tuition fees and costs, with awards being open to Ohio residents who are entering their junior year and majoring in accounting and education. Students who receive the scholarship must keep their grade point average at or above a 3.0, and eligible students in education have to be enrolled full time in The LeBron James Family Foundation School of Education, and have plans to teach at the K-8 levels. 

R. J. Nemer, the dean of the College of Business, expressed his admiration of the couple, saying, “Their generosity demonstrates a strong commitment to the value of a College of Business education and will create opportunities for some of our top accountancy students for generations to come.”

The dean of the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Mitchell S. McKinney, also weighed in, saying, “By giving back to the programs that changed their lives, they are creating pathways forward for today’s hardworking, deserving students,” he said. “Their support for education majors, in particular, will help us recruit and retain top students at a time when excellent teachers are in demand, locally and nationally.” 

More information about the University of Akron can be found on the school’s website.