DuBOIS, Pa. — Since 2017, the Jay and Betty Pifer Scholarship has supported students at Penn State DuBois and in the College of Engineering striving toward their goal of earning a degree. First established with a $25,000 gift from the couple, the endowed scholarship continues to impact students and honor the legacy of the Pifers and their family’s ties to the area.

“My parents have always been quite generous, especially with organizations that have an impact on the local and regional level,” said Terry Pifer, one of Jay and Betty's three children. 

Before his retirement after 42 years of service, Jay was president of Allegheny Power and its subsidiaries, West Penn Power, Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison. He was also a pastor of the United Methodist Church and retired from the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, with 36 years serving as pastor of various United Methodist churches. Jay died on Jan. 16, 2022, surrounded by his family.

“As an electric company executive and a Methodist minister, my father was able to touch countless people in a positive way,” Pifer said.

Born in Ridgway in 1937, Jay attended Penn State DuBois, graduating with an associate degree in electrical engineering technology before moving on to Clarion State University to complete his bachelor of science degree. He served on the board of directors of the Energy Corporation of America and was an active member in several business and community organizations. He served as president of the Boy Scouts of America Westmoreland-Fayette Council and was recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. He served as trustee of Waynesburg University and was on the advisory boards of Penn State Fayette, the University of Pittsburgh–Greensburg, the University of South Carolina–Aiken and the Carnegie Mellon Research Institute. Jay received the Penn State College of Engineering’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award as well as the University’s Alumni Fellow Award and Penn State DuBois’s Outstanding Alumnus Award. He was recognized during a session of the U.S. House of Representatives for his corporate and community leadership.

“The DuBois campus does have meaning to our family,” Pifer said. “Not only did my father attend there, but for a period of time, my parents lived in DuBois and my brother was born there.”

Jay and his wife of 63 years, Betty, raised three children.

“With my father working long hours at his day job, and then having church related functions many evenings, the child-raising and everyday duties fell within my mother’s responsibility,” Pifer said. “She was the glue that held everything together.”

With seven grandchildren now part of the family, Pifer said he sees the opportunity to carry forward his parents’ values.

“Their hope is to have us, their children and grandchildren, carry on the tradition of selfless service that they have shown throughout their lives,” he said.

Consideration for the Jay and Betty Pifer Scholarship is given to all undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at Penn State DuBois or in the College of Engineering at University Park who have achieved superior academic records or who manifest promise of outstanding academic success, and who have a demonstrated financial need. From the identified pool of eligible recipients, first preference is given to students whose home address of residence is in Western Pennsylvania. To date, the scholarship has provided more than $12,000 of support to students at Penn State DuBois and nearly $12,000 of support to students from the College of Engineering at University Park.

“The main goal of the scholarship is to allow students that truly need assistance to achieve their degree with the hope that someday they will be able to help the next generation, either by volunteering their time or with monetary gifts,” Pifer said.

Brandon Orsich, Penn State class of 2020 and 2021, is one of the numerous students that the scholarship has assisted.

“This scholarship, as well as all the scholarships that students receive at Penn State DuBois are extremely beneficial,” Orsich said. “Personally, I am extremely grateful to have received this scholarship. The Pifers are very generous to be helping students at our great campus and I cannot express my gratitude enough for their support in my education.”

For financial aid recipients at the campus, the gap between families’ financial need and available aid, including loans, averages more than $7,300 per year. Donors to Penn State DuBois scholarship funds help to close that gap by making available more than $650,000 in scholarships awarded to students each year.

“We greatly appreciate the scholarship established by Jay and Betty Pifer,” said Jungwoo Ryoo, chancellor and chief academic officer. “This resource empowers us to further advance our campus mission of student success. The generosity demonstrated by Mr. and Mrs. Pifer exemplifies our Penn State DuBois spirit of kindness and inclusion.”

Donors like the Pifer family advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients, and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.

For information on all giving at Penn State DuBois, contact Director of Development Jean Wolf at 814-372-3038 or jaw57@psu.edu.