Thomas Wanke was a monumental figure in fluid power, active for more than 50 years and influencing generations of fluid power engineers through his work at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, its Fluid Power Institute, and with the National Fluid Power Association.
In October of 2022, to honor his memory, and to help ensure that his positive impact on fluid power education continues to be felt, the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation announced that it would administer the Thomas Wanke Legacy Fund, a dedicated funding mechanism that supports fluid power scholarships and education activities at universities throughout the United States.
Since making the announcement, total donations to the fund at the time of this writing, exceed $30,000. One significant milestone associated with that figure is that it qualifies for the maximum matching gift of $25,000 that was pledged by the National Fluid Power Association – meaning that the fund now has more than $55,000 to use in supporting fluid power education.
In its second year, thanks to generous donations from Tom’s many friends, former students, and colleagues, three students received Tom Wanke Legacy Fund awards administered through the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation. Each of these students were awarded $2,000 toward their tuition expenses.
When selecting the awardees of the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund, the judges were looking for students who were:
- Passionate in their academics
- Active in extracurricular activities
- Dedicated to obtaining careers in the fluid power industry
Based on that criterion, NFPA industry member judges selected Emily Bolin, Evan Fender, and Riley Mack. Below are messages from the 2024 Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Scholarship award recipients:
“As a former competitive Junior Olympic gymnast, I vividly remember a meet supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where another gymnast told her story as a cancer survivor with a hip disarticulation. Despite having a full-length artificial leg to replace the amputated limb, she was still able to compete due to her advanced prosthetic that utilized pneumatics. I was amazed to see her perseverance working with mechanics and fluid systems as she competed and continued to live an active lifestyle. Since then, I have been fascinated with fluid systems working with the human body and want to learn more.” -Emily Bolin, Grace College, Mechanical Engineering
“Winning the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund award is a great honor and validation of my dedication to the field. It represents not only recognition but also the opportunity to further my goals in fluid power and engineering. I am extremely grateful for the support this award provides as I continue pursuing my passion and striving to make an impact in engineering.” -Evan Fender, Wright State University, Mechanical Engineering
“Awards such as this are incredibly beneficial to students like me who are not following the traditional 4-year college plan. I have been working since I was 14 years old to help pay my own way. In agricultural machinery hydraulics use fluid power to operate implements and perform various tasks. Fluid power will be present daily as I service and repair different types of equipment." -Riley Mack, Service Technician, Garden City Community College
Through a series of annual awards from the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund, we will be able to increase both the number of students studying fluid power, and the quality of fluid power education in our nation’s universities – two goals clearly aligned with and ennobled by Tom’s life and legacy. Additional donations are welcome and still being accepted at this link. Since 2023, six students have been awarded a Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Scholarship, totaling $12,000.
Please contact NFPA President and CEO, Eric Lanke, at elanke@nfpa.com or 414-778-3351 with any questions.
