International Experience Leads to Foundation

Jim Pippenger of Cedar Rapids lived in Venezuela for 43 years (1947 to 1990) which definitely gave him a different perspective on the world than if he'd remained in his hometown of Plymouth, Ind.

In fact, Jim had already experienced being on foreign soil during World War II when he trained around the United States and then flew 35 B-24 bombing missions from England to Germany. (See today's Ramblin' column in The Gazette.)

So, in retirement, and with a desire to make a difference in the way the world gets along, Jim established the Church, State and Industry Foundation to, as its Web site says, "encourage virtuous intention by facilitating pure heart and conscience in the leadership of religious, government, diplomatic, military, and industrial organizations by offering scholarship awards to virtuous seminary students that wish to enter chaplaincy serving those entities." (Click here to vist the Web site.)

This year the organization should award more than $60,000 in scholarships to these student chaplains.

Establishment of the foundation was such a noble gesture that Jim, now 89, was honored April 15 by being given an honorary life membership to the Military Chaplains Association which was chartered by Congress in 1925. He received the award at Camp Jackson in Columbia, S.C., where a new training center recently opened for chaplains from all branches of the service (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy.)

"It dawned on me the military chaplaincy has the broadest view, the broadest training," Jim said.

His hope is that the scholarship can help establish curriculums that will train these chaplains for what he feels are very important jobs in the state department, bringing the U.S. much needed good will around the world.