Dear ,

This May marked 20 years since the passing of Professor Douglas Hoekstra, one of James Madison College’s earliest faculty members, and a defining presence at the college for more than three decades. 

As a Madison graduate and now a member of the college’s development team, I have had the privilege of learning about Professor Hoekstra’s lasting impact on the college and the endowment established in his memory in 2007. Working on this project has given me a great appreciation for the mark he left on Madison and the generations of students he taught. 

Since 2009, the Douglas J. Hoekstra Endowment for the Study of American Politics and Political Institutions has provided nearly $45,000 in scholarships to support Madison students pursuing internships and field experiences. Through these opportunities, students have applied their classroom learning in legislative offices, government agencies and political campaigns at both the state and national level.

We recently published a series of Q&As with three recent recipients who reflect on the internships made possible by the endowment and the ways those experiences have shaped their understanding of American politics and political institutions. You can read their stories on the JMC website.

We are grateful to the donors, alumni and family members who have sustained the Hoekstra Endowment over the past two decades. The students featured in these Q&As are part of Doug’s enduring legacy, and their experiences have been made possible, in part, because of your generosity. 

If you would like to help extend that legacy into the endowment’s next 20 years, contributions can be made at https://give.msu.edu/?smid=AJ0075. 

With gratitude, 

Joseph Agosta 
Associate Director of Development 
James Madison College
Contact Joseph at agostaj@msu.edu