Prepared remarks from the presentation:

Just to give you a little background on the Alumni Foundation, In the wake of celebration and sentiment that followed the close of World War II, returning veterans conceived the idea of a homecoming event to renew friendships. A dance was held downtown at Christmas time and another at a country club the following spring.  To keep the idea going, officers were elected and a newsletter was published. Philip A. Schweickhard, principal of Amherst Central High School from its founding in 1930, laid the groundwork “to keep the Amherst family together” when, in 1954, he appointed Arthur E. (“Doc”) Pankow to co-ordinate Alumni Relations. By 1983, it was evident that we needed an expanded structure to perpetuate the spirit and quality unique to Amherst. In June of that year, the Amherst Alumni Foundation was conceived and incorporated. This year marks the 96th anniversary of the high school! For those of you graduating this year, we’d like to welcome you to the alumni family with the other 25,000 graduates that came before you, where we cherish the past and enhance the future.

We are proud to present the 2nd annual Amherst Alumni Foundation Dimp Wagner Scholarship in honor of Donald Dimp Wagner – class of 1948. 

The late Anne Harding Joyce, class of 1970, was instrumental in connecting us with Dimp and establishing this gift. This $5,000 scholarship reflects Dimp’s lasting legacy at Amherst and beyond. It is awarded to a student who embodies the same passion for Amherst, dedication to fellow students, and commitment to school and community involvement that Dimp so clearly demonstrated. As a student, Dimp served as President of the National Honor Society, played in the Marching Band and Amherst Symphony, sang in the choir and was an accomplished athlete. His involvement and leadership left a lasting impact on the Amherst community.

Dimp was a generous supporter of the Amherst Alumni Association. You may recognize his name on the track out back, named in his honor following a generous donation. Through his trust in us and his support in establishing a fund within the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Dimp enabled the Alumni Foundation to carry on his legacy for generations to come—by which this scholarship has been established.

This year’s recipient reflects many of Dimp’s qualities, he has shown his desire to serve our local community and give back to a community who has given him a place to feel at home, with access to a great education and encouraging teachers. He plans to attend Dartmouth University in the fall where he hopes to study engineering with dreams of a career designing high-performance vehicles and pushing the limits of automotive engineering.

It is our distinct honor to present the 2nd annual Alumni Foundation Dimp Wagner Scholarship to Maif Biswas.

Marilyn Rohl ’70 and Maif Biswas ’26