Living & Giving
The Art and Science of Life
Excelsior President John Ebersole and his wife Connie Cramer (right) are no strang- ers to higher education. Both worked in the field for many years prior to joining the Excelsior College family. This past Christmas, when John was looking for a unique way to celebrate the holidays, he surprised Connie by establishing the Jean Bovard Cramer Scholarship Fund at Excelsior College. The Fund honors Connie’s mother, Jean, an extraordinary woman who throughout her life exhibited a spirit of inquiry, a passion for teaching, and an understanding of the enduring importance of a liberal arts education.


This gift recognizes Jean by supporting the transformational effects of education on adult students. Scholarships awarded from the Fund will provide assistance to a female student pursuing a liberal arts education. “Ideally, this scholarship will go to a woman like my mother — someone with a sparkle in her eye and an interest in the world. It would be poetic if it was awarded to an individual with an interest in literature or music, as those are my mother’s passions,” says Connie.


Jean came of age at a time when societal roles often limited women’s opportunities to focus and apply their talents and energies. However, as Connie reflected, “My mom earned her college degree in the 1940s, went on to teach high school, and then to work as an airline stewardess in the early days of aviation. She was a devoted wife and mother but always remained active in her local community and was deeply interested in world affairs.” Jean’s passions led her to be active in her church, where she organized adult education programs for seniors, ranging from tours of the California missions, to historic ships, to museums, to the wine country. As a mother, she was very involved in K-12 education as a substitute teacher; she also headed a successful bond measure to secure funding for her children’s school district.


Jean Cramer is the embodiment of the liberal arts in its truest sense — she believes in the education of the whole person and how lifelong learning nourished the spirit. Stemming from her training as a journalist, she holds a strong belief that to be an engaged citizen one must stay informed and think for one’s self. Connie echoes that idea, musing, “The liberal arts help one attain intellectual and personal authenticity and will remain relevant into the future. Some of the questions facing society 100 years ago are the same we face today. While we may have airplanes, GPS, and the Internet, we know from history that no matter how well we understand ourselves and the communities we belong to — local, national, global — the complex world remains a challenge for every generation.” Robust and illuminated minds are needed to address such timeless questions about what makes us human. Jean Cramer has such a mind.


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