Hale Tongren
Former marketing professor Hale Tongren and his wife, Sally, have long been supporters of George Mason University’s School of Business. In 1986 they established the Tongren Marketing Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a top marketing major. After Tongren passed away in 2009, followed by his wife in 2014, they bequeathed $500,000 to their scholarship—a gift that will cement their legacy of giving to Mason students.
To date, 24 scholarships have been awarded to marketing students at the School of Business.
Christine Lamont, a marketing major who will graduate this month, is the latest recipient of the award. “This scholarship helped me offset some of my tuition expenses, which I am extremely grateful for,” she said. “It also helped me stand out. As I was applying to jobs, this scholarship proved to potential employers that I am a hardworking individual worthy of an award.
“It is really nice to have my hard work recognized. Being the recipient has boosted my self-confidence in the marketing field and made me realize that hard work does pay off.”
Tongren was one of the business school’s first faculty members, joining George Mason in 1968 after retiring from the U.S. Navy. A long-serving member of Mason’s Faculty Senate, he published two books and, among other distinctions, was selected faculty member of year in 1986 by the George Mason University Alumni Association. As a trustee of the Mason Foundation, he contributed a great deal toward developing external relationships with the business community in Northern Virginia. Tongren retired from Mason in 2000 after 31 years of service.
“Students feared and revered him,” 1980 Mason graduate Theresa Shaw said
in a 2008 Mason Spirit article. “He was an incredible instructor and had a major influence on me. I can cite things that I learned in his classes more than 20 years ago.”
Recently retired professor of finance Robert Johnston said Hale was “not only a superb colleague to many of us, but also an exceptional friend. We miss him.”