Hadsell's Steely Vision for Michigan Tech
After a long career with the steel industry, Deloss Hadsell ’30 settled happily into retirement with his wife, Eleanora, and spent countless hours fly-fishing and tending to gardens and lemon trees on the land he called his “south forty.” Eleanora and Deloss also amassed a collection of some 150 fine paperweights, and any visit by Michigan Tech staff members included a viewing and discussion of the paperweights, which were displayed throughout their home.
After retiring in the early 1970s, Deloss was able to visit Michigan Tech from his California home. He was amazed at the transformation of the campus he had called home during the stock market crash of 1929. This historic event helped shape his conservative views on saving for the future.
Deloss received his degree in metallurgical and materials engineering and spent forty-one years working in steel. In fact, he and Eleanora met when they both worked for Youngstown Steel Company. They were married for more than fifty years. Deloss died in 2004 at the age of 97, and Eleanora died on the same date six years later when she was 97.
Through his estate planning, Deloss had provided for Eleanora after his passing, and, following her death, Michigan Tech received the bulk of their estate. Modest to the end, the Hadsells had made no specific designation for most of their gifts to Michigan Tech, except for some funds for the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts designated by Eleanora. They relied on the University to decide how to best invest their donation.
The Hadsells had three life-income gift plans in place—a charitable remainder annuity trust, a charitable remainder unitrust, and a living trust—for a total gift amount of $1.5 million.
“We are extremely grateful for individuals like the Hadsells who thought so much of Michigan Tech that they wanted to provide for it in such a sincere and significant way,” says Eric Halonen, director of major gifts and gift planning. “I personally am grateful for having had the opportunity to know Deloss and Eleanora and to work with them on their charitable goals for Tech.”
Regarding the amount of their gift, he remarked, “This was a wonderful surprise. Due to his modest nature, Deloss had never indicated the value of his estate during my many visits with them.”