2,570 miles. The distance from Los Angeles, CA, to State College, PA—and the distance that Martha Jordan, ’76 Bus, travels to volunteer with her alma mater.
Martha has been making this trip as a volunteer since 1999 when she was asked to serve on the College of Business Board of Visitors (BOV) by then Dean Jay Hammond. Since then, she has served on the BOV through the leadership of six academic deans.
“At first, I just wanted to be able to get a Nittany Lion Inn reservation on a football weekend,” Martha joked. “But once engaged, I realized I had developed longstanding friendships with all the other volunteers and staff. And I enjoyed spending time with everyone, even though it meant several cross-country trips a year.”
But for Martha, it is about more than just coming back to campus—it is about paying it forward.
During her first year as a student at Penn State, Martha’s father lost his job, causing her to have to rely on student loans and philanthropy to complete her degree.
“The loan officer assigned to my file in the Office of Financial Aid really impacted me by telling me that he expected me to give back everything I had gotten from them and more once I graduated and was successful in business. So, I really felt compelled to do so,” Martha recalled. “And I can still hear his voice telling me this every time I write another donation check to Penn State!”
One of Martha’s first assignments on the Smeal BOV was serving on the Development Committee to raise funds for the “new” business building. At the time, it was the largest fundraising effort for an academic building in the University’s history.
Throughout her tenure, Martha has served on the Smeal BOV, including a three-year stint as chair during Jim Thomas’ Deanship. As chair, she worked with the Dean and volunteers to drive the Smeal College of Business to be a better educational institution through advice from industry leaders and private fundraising.
Currently, she serves as an honorary member of the BOV and as the vice chair of strategic committees for A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence. Prior to that, she served on the Executive Committee and chaired the Annual Giving Committee of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. When For The Future concluded, she chaired the Campaign Planning Committee for A Greater Penn State. Martha has also received University honors, including being named a Distinguished Alumni, Alumni Fellow, and Presidential Counselor.
Beyond her leadership, Martha is also a champion for women’s athletics and strongly believes in equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.
“Athletics fosters so much leadership education and is, in my view, an integral part of one’s education,” she said. “I recognize that not everyone is athletically inclined—I am not, for example—but those who are should have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field, regardless of gender.”
Martha recalls one specific experience when she was particularly inspired to support women’s sports.
“When I was in law school at Berkeley in the early 1980s, I watched Penn State Field Hockey beat UC Berkeley Field Hockey at Berkeley for the National Title (before women’s sports were part of the NCAA),” Martha said. “I remember being very proud of my alma mater, but also wishing that women’s athletics would get as much visibility, facilities, promotion, etc. as men’s sports.”
“That’s what inspired me to help support Penn State Field Hockey, and I hope that others will support any women’s sport that interests them.”
It is memories like these–from Martha’s time as a student and from the years since as a volunteer—that strengthen Martha’s bond with her alma mater despite the miles between them.
Inspired by Martha’s leadership and service?
Give to the Penn State Women’s Field Hockey Team and/or the Undergraduate Diversity Programs in the Smeal College of Business.