As former Michigan Tech students who grew up in Houghton County, Marilyn and David Bernard understand the University’s importance to the area. That’s why they’ve again stepped up their philanthropic support, this time funding the David and Marilyn Bernard Endowed Professorship in Business.
“Michigan Tech is the cornerstone of the Copper Country, and I want it to succeed,” said Marilyn. David added, “There wouldn’t be much to the Copper Country without Tech. It was a great place to grow up. We were very fortunate to have a great university in our hometown.”
Local Roots
Education was important in David’s family; he was the youngest of six children in
his family and the fifth to attend MTU. His father had to drop out of Michigan Tech
after one year due to the Great Depression, and was determined to have his children
go to college. Coming from Houghton High School, David enrolled in business classes
and made the most of his Tech experience. He played intramural sports, refereed junior
hockey games, served in Blue Key, and was a member of Sigma Rho fraternity.
David remembers professor Sam Tidwell—famous for the red ties he wore—as influential in his academic journey. “He ran the accounting group, which he started in the 1950s. He took interest in all his students, provided career counseling, and helped us secure jobs.”
Marilyn, a Chassell native, was the only member of her family to attend college. She enrolled in Tech’s medical technology program and remembered Professors Marion (Doc) Berry and Hasaan El Kadhem.
“I couldn’t believe how educated Dr. El Kadhem was. He had multiple PhDs and was trying to win a Nobel prize, yet he was teaching organic chemistry 101. You could tell he was brilliant, and he inspired me to study harder."
David and Marilyn met because of one of Tech’s greatest traditions, Homecoming. As president of Sigma Rho, David was in charge of finding a queen candidate to sponsor, and that process led to finding Marilyn. They were married less than two years later and have been married for 52 years.
Career Success
After graduating in 1974, David was hired by Kimberly Clark in Neenah, Wisconsin. He spent his entire 36-year career working in corporate tax for the company, helping it grow from $1 billion in market cap to over $40 billion when he retired. By 1994, David was in charge of global tax, supervising 40 professionals. He added corporate real estate responsibilities in 2003 which included office facilities in addition to a real estate portfolio of hotels and rental properties.
“Tech taught me the fundamentals of finance, economics, and business law, but the most important thing it taught was the importance of life-long learning,” he said. “So much of my success was due to the pursuit of continuing education opportunities.”
Using that mindset, David joined the Tax Executives Institute based in Washington, D.C. in the early 1980s, utilizing the networking and continuing educational opportunities it provided. In 2006–07, he became TEI’s international president, an organization with 7,000 members on four continents at the time.
Marilyn, who left Michigan Tech to follow David to Wisconsin, later graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in medical technology with a minor in chemistry. She interned at a hospital in Neenah and later worked in a clinic laboratory setting and ran a small business before focusing on raising their three children.
“Coming to Tech was a real eye opener that I had to apply myself to do well,” said Marilyn. “The education and experience that I received was and still is impactful in my life."
Connection to Tech
David was asked to join Tech’s College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council in 2001.
The Bernards also began supporting the University philanthropically.
“We were initially giving a modest $1,000 a year for scholarships,” said David. “Marilyn particularly enjoyed receiving the thank you letters from students. We gradually upped our giving and eventually it was pointed out that if we gave $20,000 per year, we could fund a faculty fellow, which we did in 2018."
The couple bumped up their gift again this spring, making it the David and Marilyn Bernard Endowed Professorship in Business.
“The College and University have great leadership,” said David. “Having served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for 25 years, it’s been great to see the progress the College of Business has made.”
Marilyn added, “It’s incredibly gratifying to be able to give back, supporting students and professors in their pursuit of success.”
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
