A Scholar, A Brother, A Friend
Sue Collester, PhD can count so many ways that Indiana University has touched her and her late brother, J. Bryan Collester. It is the combination of her deep connections to Jerry, as she calls her brother, and to the university they love that inspired Sue to create the Dr. J. Bryan Collester Scholarship to benefit undergraduate students in political science.
Family Ties
The Collester siblings' connection to IU begins with the fact that J. Bryan Collester was named after William Lowe Bryan, the University's 10th president.
"My mother and father attended IU during Bryan's presidency," says Sue, who holds a PhD in Chinese history. "They didn't finish due to the Great Depression. But my mother had met Bryan and just admired him. She thought he was a real gentleman, and he was so respected in his field as a Greek and Latin scholar."
Much the same could be said about Jerry. In political science, Jerry was admired as an author, scholar, and consultant. Expert in affairs from the European Union to Asia, it's easy to find pictures of him with political notables, such as Henry Kissinger.
"But Jerry's dream was to teach at a teaching college," Sue says. "He received invitations to join the faculty at Johns Hopkins University, and he was asked to remain at the U.S. Air War College where he taught for a year as a visiting professor. Afterward, he decided to return to Principia College at Elsah, Illinois."
Always Here in Spirit
Jerry and Sue received their undergraduate degrees from Principia. But both earned their master's and doctoral degrees from IU.
"I can't remember having a better time than when I was at Indiana," smiles Sue, who also taught at the IU School of Journalism while completing her doctorate. And Jerry served as a residence hall assistant at the graduate center while finishing his doctorate.
Even when they weren't attending IU, Sue and Jerry were always here in spirit and sometimes in the stands at Memorial Stadium. Sue recalls going to pivotal games like IU's victory over Purdue prior to the Rose Bowl in 1967.
"I am a Hoosier. Jerry was a Hoosier. Even when we weren't at IU, we were with IU."
Little Touches Made a Difference
The friendships Jerry and Sue made at IU would last. "When Jerry passed, his wife, Colette, and I received so many notes from people here, people who remembered Jerry," remembers Sue. "It's those little touches that made a difference in why I made this gift."
Sue speaks of Jerry with pride. "He was always a gentleman. He never made jokes about anyone. He treated everyone with respect." And she keeps a scrapbook, a record of his gifts, his accomplishments, and her memories. But, moreover, she recalls a brother who was equally proud of his big sister, her scholarship, and her talents. "We were," she beams, "the best of friends."
