PRE-LAW PROGRAM Brothers leave funds for YSU scholarships

Interest earned by the trust is expected to fund about six scholarships annually.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The late brothers Sidney and Bert Rigelhaupt, who spent their careers in the legal profession, are providing a legacy that will live on at Youngstown State University.
The brothers created a trust of more than $1 million to provide scholarships for the Pre-Law Program at YSU, said Dr. William Binning, chairman of the Department of Political Science.
Sidney died in 1986 at age 82, and Bert died Sept. 18 at age 91.
The brothers, sons of A. Henry and Rose Rich Rigelhaupt of Youngstown, had a history with YSU. Both were graduates of the Youngstown College of Law that was a part of the campus from 1908 until the early 1960s.
Lives intertwined
Sidney earned his legal degree in 1926 and went on to serve as a College of Law faculty member while maintaining his private practice in downtown Youngstown. Bert earned his degree in 1951 and joined his brother's law practice.
Sidney went on to serve on the bench of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for 12 years, retiring in 1974.
The brothers remained close throughout their lives and shared a home on North Heights Avenue. They were known for frequently walking to work together from their home on the city's near North Side to their office downtown.
Binning said the university learned only recently of the brothers' gift to the university, and YSU representatives met with Bert Rigelhaupt before his death to discuss the trust that is part of his estate.
Where donation is going
The money in the trust is invested, and its earnings will be used to provide the scholarships.
"We're very pleased with this," Binning said.
The YSU Board of Trustees has renamed the Pre-Law Advising Center in the Department of Political Science as The Sidney and Bert Rigelhaupt Pre-Law Advising Center.
It's been four decades since the university's College of Law was operating, and there are still a few practicing attorneys in the area who graduated from the program, Binning said.
The university still offers a pre-law major, he said.
The Pre-Law Advising Center offers its services to all students at Youngstown State who may be interested in pursuing a career in the legal field, not just pre-law majors, he said.
It offers advice at the beginning of a student's college study to acquaint the student with the various fields of legal practice that require specialized undergraduate study.
It also helps college juniors arrange law school entrance exams and interviews.
Law schools don't require any specific major for candidates, and any graduate can apply to a law school, Binning said.
As a result, the scholarships won't be limited to pre-law majors, he said, noting that any YSU undergraduate from the Mahoning-Trumbull area will be eligible to apply for the assistance.
The amount of the scholarships hasn't been determined yet. That will be a factor of the interest earnings, Binning said, adding that perhaps six scholarships will be available on an annual basis.
"These are the most generous scholarships that we've ever had in our program," he said.
gwin@vindy.com.