A Purposeful Friendship and Legacy for Two

Joseph A. Clark, M.S. 1967, Ph.D. 1969, and Mary L. Kohlmeier

Carole King’s iconic ballad “You’ve Got a Friend” is one of the greatest folk songs of our time. The lyrics capture what friendship is all about, especially for those who might need a helping hand. Dr. Joseph “Joe” A. Clark, M.S. 1967, Ph.D. 1969, and Mary Kohlmeier may not be friends in the traditional sense, but theirs is certainly a friendship that will help transform lives for engineering students at The Catholic University of America for many generations to come.

In 2008 Joe faced the devastating news that the cancer he thought was in remission had returned aggressively and with a terminal prognosis. With limited time, no heirs, and a lifelong list of assets to organize, Joe turned to the person he felt could best understand what he was going through and could also responsibly manage and execute his estate. That person was Mary Kohlmeier, a highly regarded CPA for the federal government and a fellow parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.

Joe and Mary shared common values and belonged to the same support group for cancer survivors. Sadly, Joe passed away within a few months from his second battle with the disease and never finished putting all of his philanthropic plans in order.

As the executrix of Joe's estate, charged with fulfilling the charitable wishes he requested, Mary placed all of the remaining undesignated funds, about $2.6 million, into a newly created trust in Joe's name. She was now faced with the decision of what to support on Joe's behalf. Mary recalled how highly Joe spoke of Catholic University. She especially remembered him often mentioning how much he valued the education he received from the School of Engineering. After much thought, she felt supporting engineering students was what Joe would have wanted.

Making Charitable Connections

Mary contacted Catholic University's Division of University Advancement office and worked out a plan where she would continue to administer the trust throughout her lifetime while also establish a fund for engineering students in Joe's memory.

The annual interest generated by the trust is about $50,000. Of that total, Mary requested that 50% be awarded in scholarships to graduate or undergraduate engineering students and the other 50% be invested in the Dr. Joseph A. Clark Endowed Scholarship fund, which Mary established in 2019 with a $100,000 initial donation from the trust, for engineering students at Catholic University.

In addition, Mary has generously pledged to distribute all of the trust's remaining assets into Joe's endowed scholarship after her lifetime.

In gratitude, the University was honored to welcome Mary into the St. Thomas Aquinas Society for her tremendous generosity on behalf of her dear friend, Dr. Joseph A. Clark.