David W. Hartmann grew up in Morris, IL, and was afflicted with polio as a young boy. Despite using hand-held crutches, David met and overcame these challenges, making his high school golf team and earning a full academic scholarship to attend Knox College. David (or DW as he was better known), enrolled at Knox in the Fall of 1968. While he continued to face physical challenges, he never let them get in the way. He joined the Sigma Nu fraternity and earned the respect of his fraternity brothers and others on campus as an active member. In 1973, DW temporarily withdrew from Knox to fight a cancerous brain tumor, returning in 1974 to complete his degree. DW went on to earn a JD and MS in Finance from Northern Illinois University. Before opening his private law practice, he taught business and business law at several universities. DW and his wife, Patricia (Pat), adopted and raised two daughters. On October 6, 2013, he passed away after a second battle with cancer. David’s sense of humor, self-determination, faith in God, and intensely competitive nature, coupled with his desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world, were personal attributes evident throughout his professional career.

David, also known as “DW” to his fraternity brothers, passed away in October 2013.

The idea of a scholarship was rolled out to the broader Sigma Nu community who had known David, classes of 1968 to 1975.  The initial challenge was to raise $50,000 in five years to secure endowment status. Despite the challenge, there was strong support from the Sigma Nu community reaching the endowment goal in just two and a half years time. Now, some eight years later, the scholarship has reached a six-digit funding level that has allowed Knox College to award a David Hartmann Scholarship in each of the past eight years, with an increasing value in each of the past five years.

The David Hartmann Scholarship is awarded to a deserving Knox College student who demonstrates significant financial need to meet their educational expenses. The Knox College Office of Financial Aid selects the scholarship recipient with the following considerations, in order of preference, in mind:

A student who has physical disabilities
A current member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity

A total of 40 people have contributed to make the scholarship a reality. This includes the Sigma Nus and fellow classmates who knew David, as well as many others who were inspired by his story.

The scholarship is really about DW: who he was; the challenges he met and overcame; and the impact he had on all the Sigma Nus who knew him.