A Logical Choice: Mark '80 and Ellen Knutson '79 Kramm

Mark '80 and Ellen Knutson '79 Kramm met at Susquehanna. Both were math majors, and one of their early connections to each other was through their coursework. Mark lent Ellen his textbook for Symbolic Logic while she waited for hers to come into the bookstore. "It gave me a convenient excuse to stop by her dorm to read the week's lesson," he remembers.

Mark enrolled at Susquehanna after interviewing at a much larger school and deciding that SU's smaller size was a better fit for him. His older brother, Steve Kramm '74, had also attended Susquehanna and had a positive experience. Ellen's decision to come to Susquehanna was similarly influenced by personal interactions. Her father's coworker, Gloria Mastellar Pollitt '58, first recommended the school to her. "When I decided to come for a campus visit, another student took me around and spoke so highly of her own time at SU that I was convinced it was the right place for me too," recalls Ellen.

Aside from fond memories of meeting through their Symbolic Logic class, both Mark and Ellen express appreciation for the unique academic experience they were able to have at Susquehanna. Ellen found herself taking several semesters of German classes, with professors Rosemarie Shalkhäuser and Peter Waldeck, after she so enjoyed the Elementary German class she took as a freshman to satisfy a basic requirement. Another introductory class, Introduction to Music with John Zurfluh, "kindled a lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of music," she says. Mark enjoyed the small class sizes of upper-level math and computer science courses, in which he was able to develop close relationships with fellow students and professors, such as John Reade, Bob Tyler and Samir Kar.

Soon after graduation, Mark and Ellen moved to Minnesota to pursue job opportunities in Minneapolis. Mark began work at Honeywell, where he still works today, and has held a variety of roles in software engineering, IT support and quality assurance. Ellen worked at Lutheran Brotherhood, now known as Thrivent, as a cost accountant before moving into computer programming.

Nearly 40 years later, Mark and Ellen have "grown to love" their adopted home state. After a quick education in Minnesota winters early on-which included a jump start to their "beater" station wagon from kind strangers each time they had to stop the car-they even learned to embrace the cold winter months. They both enjoy the outdoors, especially visiting Minnesota's beautiful state parks. Ellen also enjoys gardening, and Mark is an avid nature photographer.

When it came time to do their estate planning, Mark and Ellen knew that giving to charity was a main priority for them. "Because we don't have children, we established a trust to leave our estate to organizations important to us. Susquehanna was at the top of the list. The education and opportunities available to us at SU enriched our lives and continue to do so today."

The Kramms have decided not to restrict their planned gift to one purpose. They have only designated it to support academics, at the University's discretion.

"We are always pleased to read about Susquehanna's continuing excellence in education and are delighted that it attracts a diverse student body," Mark and Ellen tell us. "We hope that our gift will help continue the university's legacy of excellence and accessibility."