Gateway

Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: News

Ed Pechar, left, and Mike Griesser, a former business partner, pose for a photo at McCormick Distilery in Weston, Mo., which Pechar and Griessar purchased in 1993. (courtesy University Affairs) [Click to enlarge]

An UNO alumnus made a $1 million gift to the University of Nebraka Foundation last month to create full-tuition scholarships for students in Nebraska and western Iowa who otherwise could not afford to attend college.

Edward Pechar, a 1963 graduate of then-Municipal University of Omaha, established the scholarships for students who need financial assistance but are ineligible for federal Pell grants.

Currently, more than 75 percent of UNO's 15,000 students apply for financial aid, of whom only 25 percent are eligible for Pell grants, leaving the rest seeking other forms of assistance.

"Financial stress is a huge problem today and without scholarship assistance many deserving students may not be able to attend college," Pechar said. "I want to help change that."

Chancellor John Christensen said the university is extremely grateful for Pechar's compassion and generosity with the gift.

"The university remains concerned about a critical segment of students, many of them first generation college students, who are struggling to afford a college education," Christensen said. "These scholarships will make a difference in the lives of those students who receive this assistance and to the university in making a college education accessible to a broader group of students."

Pechar is owner and chairman of McCormick Distilling Company Inc., located in Weston, Mo., with offices in Dallas. A first generation college student, Pechar graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in speech communication.

After serving in the Air Force, Pechar went on to earn a law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law and was admitted to the Ohio State Bar in 1972. He has spent the last 40 years working as a business executive in the liquor industry.

Pechar credits much of his professional success to UNO and said giving back to his alma mater made sense at this point in his life.

"I gained so much when I was a student at Omaha University. The faculty was remarkable, and I have nothing but good memories," Pechar said. "I recently returned to campus and couldn't believe what I saw. The progress UNO has made is amazing."

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