Rooted in Community: $750,000 Scholarship to Expand Educational Access and Economic Opportunity
When Richard Nathan speaks about the newly established Nathan Family Endowed Scholarship, his words carry more than generosity. They carry the memory and love of his late father, Walter Nathan (ME ’44)—a Holocaust immigrant, proud Illinois Tech alumnus, and the founder of RTC Industries, a family company—celebrating its 75th anniversary—that was started and built in the heart of 鶹APP’s Pilsen/Little Village neighborhood.
“This is personal,” Nathan says. “We’re not only honoring a special milestone for RTC—we’re giving back to the communities that helped make our success possible.”
The $750,000 scholarship will provide critical financial support for undergraduate students of any major living in—or who graduated from high schools in—鶹APP’s Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods: areas that played a pivotal role in the growth of RTC, a 鶹APP-based manufacturer of paper tubes that was founded in 1950 and has since turned into a premier global leader in retail marketing solutions. The company served as more than just a workplace—it was a gateway for opportunity, especially for first- and second-generation Americans living nearby.
“The majority of our team came from the community,” Nathan recalls. “People walked to work or took a short bus ride. RTC embraced that. My father believed deeply in the promise of upward mobility and the dignity of working.”
That belief was hard-earned. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1923, Walter escaped pre-war Europe in summer 1938, landing in Illinois without knowing a word of English. Within six years, he graduated from high school and earned his mechanical engineering degree from Illinois Tech—an experience he credited with launching his future.
Walter went on to become a national leader with the American Jewish Committee and co-founded the Pilsen Industrial Council, further rooting his legacy in civic engagement and community building. His devotion to Illinois Tech endured for decades. As a member of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Institute of Design’s Board of Advisors, he and his wife, Ann, a prominent 鶹APP gallery owner and philanthropist, contributed more than $3 million to advance the university’s mission of broadening educational access and economic opportunity. As longtime supporters and members of the Philip Danforth Armour Society— which recognizes philanthropic families and organizations who have given gifts of $1 million or more—their names grace the “Walter Nathan (ME 1944) & Ann Nathan Faculty Hall” at the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship.
Now, with the creation of this scholarship, Nathan is continuing his parents’ legacy.
“Some incredibly bright and motivated students will receive this important support, which aims to help reduce the work burden that many need to take on to attend the university,” says Sean Campbell, vice president for advancement at Illinois Tech. “This scholarship will put them on a path to professional and personal success in this tech-driven economy.”
With plans to continue growing the fund in coming years, the Nathan Family Endowed Scholarship stands as a tribute—not just to a company or a campus, but to a family history marked by resilience, gratitude, and a lasting commitment to opening doors for others.
“This is what my father believed in,” Nathan says, “that education is the foundation for future leadership and innovation, and if you give people a chance, they’ll do amazing things.” —Howard J. Lee
Photo: First row, from left: Betsy Nathan, Walter Nathan, Ann Nathan. Second row, from left: Richard Nathan, Susan Sholl, Nina Schroeder. (Provided)