A Scholarship Comes Full Circle

The year was 1955. John Hannah was at the mid-point of his long tenure, leading Michigan State through unprecedented growth. The school was celebrating its first 100 years of shaping minds, and 3,000 students were bestowed their undergraduate degrees, among them Margaret "Marge" Tangenberg of Grand Rapids.

After her graduation from Michigan State, Marge worked overseas, teaching in Germany and Vietnam, and was appointed as a secretary in Thailand. In 1976, she transferred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. She retired in 2013 with a total of 51 years of federal government service.

As one of 13 students who received a four-year scholarship from the Michigan State College Fund in 1951, Marge had firsthand knowledge of the value of scholarship funds in helping her achieve a college education.

The scholarship she received and her successful career prompted Marge to establish an endowment to support future Spartans. The Margaret G. Tangenberg Endowed Scholarship was funded through a provision in her estate plan.

The Tangenberg Endowment has already provided assistance to several MSU students and will continue to do so in perpetuity.

Her cousin Martha Marshall reflected that "Marge traveled everywhere and was always interested in education and learning throughout her life. She would be happy to know that students are now being given the same opportunities."

Tangenberg Scholarship Recipient

"I cannot begin to express how much Margaret Tangenberg's generosity will help me with paying for my education. I greatly value my education, and this scholarship ensuring I have the financial means to pursue that education means the world to me. I have always enjoyed learning and I plan to continue my education and pursue a Ph.D. eventually." —MARIE, 2018-19 Tangenberg scholarship recipient, junior at Michigan State University English major with ambitions to study elementary education and become a teacher