11 Ferdinand “Ferd” Thun ’56 At Lehigh, we know that the future is stronger when we build it together. Our community is defined by exceptional friends, family, and alumni who fuel the university’s progress. Here, we celebrate the generosity and lives of two families who marshaled their vision and philanthropy to change student and faculty experiences on campus. A lifelong advocate for Lehigh, Ferdinand “Ferd” Thun ’56 put into practice what he often encouraged others to recognize: the power of philanthropy to make a financially sound decision individually and champion others’ efforts, launch careers, and build connections between people. From 1973 to 1995, in his role as director of planned giving in the Office of Development at Lehigh, Thun taught others about the impact a community of individuals, united by their desires to provide opportunity for others, can have. His legacy left an indelible mark on his peers, friends, and mentees. “At his core, Ferd was a teacher and led by example,” Lorraine Wiedorn, assistant vice president of planned giving and family philanthropy, remembers. His philanthropy at Lehigh focused on raising scholarship support and bolstering the university’s endowment to ensure that more talented students could benefit from a Lehigh education. With his wife, Elizabeth Thun, he established multiple endowed scholarships and The Ferdinand Thun ’56 Chair in Family Business. Thun, however, might have eschewed such individual recognition in favor of championing the many people who made his philanthropy and life successful. Adrian “Bud” DeYoung ’56 and Carol DeYoung were also driven by their hearts and a mindset to always help others. This is why they originally established the Carol and Adrian DeYoung ’56 Endowed Scholarship Fund, a bequest borne of a lifetime of Lehigh connections. From his chance meetings with former Lehigh trustees like Paul Leitner to visiting classes and hearing about Dr. Richard Aronson’s Martindale Scholars’ trips overseas, DeYoung knew he wanted to give back to Lehigh because of lifelong relationships formed on campus and afterward. After Adrian passed in 2004, Carol DeYoung continued her late husband’s legacy of philanthropy and connection. “Carol cared [about Lehigh] because Bud cared,” says Dolores Kresge, Adrian DeYoung’s sister. Carol DeYoung, whose connection to Lehigh started with weekend trips to visit her future husband while she was in high school, carried the spirit of her family’s philanthropic legacy forward by establishing a charitable gift annuity herself, supporting the DeYoung endowed scholarship. While Carol DeYoung passed in 2021, her and Adrian DeYoung’s legacy now shapes the lives of students in the College of Business. Both the Thun and DeYoung families exemplify Lehigh’s ability to bring people together. They used their experience at Lehigh to guide their philanthropic vision and worked to grow Lehigh’s community through their generosity and example. Their work reminds us that Lehigh’s bright future is linked to the strength of its community. Carol DeYoung and Adrian “Bud” DeYoung ’56
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