The following are funds that represent SAE alumni from Duke.
In Memoriam
1st Lt. Matthew D. Lynch ‘01 Scholarship Fund
On October 31st of 2004, 1st Lt. Matthew D. Lynch was on patrol with his fellow Marines in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded, killing Matt and robbing Sigma Alpha Epsilon of one of its finest brothers. Matt, originally from New York, graduated from Duke in 2001 and immediately entered the Marines, compelled by duty to repay the debt he felt he owed this country for all it had provided him. Before his graduation, Matt was not only a dedicated member of the fraternity, but also a gifted athlete who somehow found time to take his usual leadership role on two varsity sports: Swimming and Baseball.
Even then it was apparent to all that Matt was governed by an intense loyalty – to SAE and its brothers, to his teammates, and to every other ideal we all first discovered embodied in the True Gentleman many years ago. Members of Matt’s pledge class and others were devastated by the news of his tragic death and determined to pay tribute to Matt and established the 1st Lt. MATTHEW D. LYNCH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND at Duke University. The scholarship is given to celebrate and remember the life of Matt Lynch, whose patriotism, personality, work ethic and dedication to Duke’s Swimming and Baseball programs will forever inspire his teammates, friends, and future Duke athletes. Fundraising exceeded the $100,000 pledge necessary to support this perennial scholarship.
Further details are available from Brother Daniel Nunn via email at dmnunn@alumni.duke.edu or Brother Jack Newhouse at jdntrd@aol.com, or visit the web site at www.mattlynch.org.
Stephenson Pope Babcock Foundation
Pope Babcock '96, was killed in a car accident after graduation in Baja, Mexico while on a surfing trip.Pope, the son of Anne and Bruce Babcock of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was born in New York City on November 27, 1973, and he and his family lived there until 1989, when they moved to Winston-Salem. Pope had two brothers, Luke and Thomas. He graduated from St. Bernard’s School in New York City, Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, and Duke University (1996).
Pope had a wide range of interests, the strongest of which included the ocean and surfing, international travel and foreign cultures, and individual responsibility as reflected in citizenship and human relations. He cared a great deal for people – friends, acquaintances, and strangers – and strove for fairness in his life and the lives of others.
The Stephenson Pope Foundation was created as a 501(c)(3) foundation established in the memory of Stephenson Pope Babcock.
The governing structure of Pope’s Foundation is a board of advisors, made up of thirteen of Pope’s close friends, and a board of directors, consisting of six members of his family. Grants are introduced to the Foundation by the advisors and directors.
A key element of the non-profit programs we consider for grants is that they “sound like Pope”. Important areas of interest for the Foundation have been assistance for disadvantaged youth in schools and summer programs, human welfare programs in poor nations (especially Latin America), and coastal environmental efforts. Pope lived in eastern Long Island, New York City, and North Carolina, and these geographic areas have received special attention. The sizes of the Foundation’s grants range from $1,000-$12,000 and can be made for one or multiple years.
Contact the Foundation at http://spbabcockfoundation.org/Contact-Us.html.