Paying It Forward

Gary Forbach (BA ’69) and his wife, Paula, have always been grateful for opportunities and paid it forward whenever possible.

When Gary moved into Centennial Towers as a first-generation student in 1965, he knew he was there for three reasons: DU would provide the education he needed to reach his professional goals; as a Centennial Scholar, he would have to pay only $300 per quarter toward his education; and his grandparents, Albert and Annie Forbach, would invest that $300 per quarter to eliminate the need for him to hold a job during college.

“The annual financial aid package I received from DU was more than three times my family’s annual income at the time,” said Gary. “Without that support, I would not have had access to the unmatched quality of a DU education. My time on campus instilled a lifelong love of learning that has guided my career.”

As Gary reminisces about DU, he remembers that first September when he opened his 10th-floor curtains to a vision of snow twinkling on Mount Evans. That was just the beginning of many firsts for Gary. As a multiyear Texas All-State Choir participant, church organist and avid music lover, Gary came to DU believing he would major in music. “Two weeks into school, I realized that the students in the Lamont School of Music were all so much more talented; my original goal of becoming a professional musician was not a sound plan!”

However, Gary’s voice teacher, Dr. Gordon DeBroder, persuaded him to continue developing his vocal skills with the Men’s Glee Club and that became his primary DU social group. Glee Club also gave him a small taste of a musician’s life. “Every spring, we toured (always at women’s colleges!), and during the year, I was paid to sing in a church choir and perform at alumni events on campus. Making music with such talented musicians was a glorious experience I will always cherish!”

One thing that did not change for Gary, though, was his interest in a young woman he had met in church when she was 11 years old—Paula. Eventually, they made a pact that she would work to support them until he earned his PhD and then choose the career she wanted. In June 1968, Paula and Gary were married and shared Gary’s senior year at DU together. “DU’s financial aid package not only kept Gary in school, but it helped us cover the costs of living together off campus,” said Paula. “I know how important Gary’s DU experience has been to him; it was central to his eventual success as a professor and administrator.”

This gratitude for the impact DU had on his professional career is what led Gary and Paula to create the Albert C. & Annie E. Forbach Endowed Fund, a testamentary endowment at the University of Denver that will provide funds to be used at the discretion of the Chancellor in support of students’ greatest needs with preference for first-generation students and leadership development. “DU’s chancellors have been strong leaders and take their job seriously,” said Gary. “Since we can’t predict the future and what the greatest need will be, we wanted to leave the purpose broad enough to meet those needs.”

After 39 years at Washburn University in Kansas, commuting between his “work home” and his family home in Durham, North Carolina, for the last five years, Gary retired from campus classrooms in 2012. He joined his family in North Carolina where he continues to teach online in virtual classrooms.

“The education I obtained while earning a DU degree was the foundation of my career,” said Gary. “However, a degree is not an education…it just ushers in the next stage of a life of learning. Consequently, my priority as an educator has always been to teach students the fundamentals of learning how to learn, so that when their world suddenly and irrevocably goes topsy-turvy, they are prepared to gather relevant information, exercise critical thinking in evaluating that information, and then chart a viable path toward adapting to their new environment.”

Like Gary and Paula, you can enrich future DU students’ lives with your future support. To learn more, contact Jon Kraus at jon.kraus@du.edu or 303.871.4619.

“The education I obtained while earning a DU degree was the foundation of my career.”
—Gary Forbach (BA ’69)