ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Students of Escanaba Area Public Schools will benefit from the generosity of a late alumnus.
Born in 1929, Dr. David Millard Locke graduated from Escanaba High School in 1947. According to Escanaba Area Public Schools, his senior profile stated he liked “to tinker with his chemistry set” and hoped to become a research chemist. Locke pursued his dream, eventually becoming associated with the Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, and the University of Florida, where he was recognized as a distinguished educator, researcher, and mentor.
Dr. Locke died on March 7, 2025. As part of Locke’s wishes, his estate donated $3.65 million to the Escanaba Area Public Schools scholarship fund in memory of his mother, Cathrine Locke Livermore. Livermore’s teaching career began in 1924, and she taught at the Escanaba Area Public Schools until 1945, when she became an elementary principal. She held that position until her retirement in 1963.
When Escanaba administrators were contacted by Locke’s estate, the news of his generosity initially seemed too good to be true.
“I thought it was a scam at first,” said Escanaba High School Principal Andy Doutree. “They wouldn’t tell us how much it was, but they wanted to make sure that we were legit. We had one of our principals go [to the funeral] to say thank you and honor Dr. Locke.”
The act prompted Doutree and other school administrators to look further into Locke’s life.
“This gentleman was a scientist who studied chemistry and wrote books,” Doutree said. “We bought one of his books. I went to the public library and found him in the yearbook. In our records, we were able to find his last report card in 1947. It really started to build a profile of him and his mother.”
Doutree was amazed when he learned how much money Locke left to the scholarship fund. The scholarships will be awarded to well-rounded graduating seniors of high academic standing. Preference will be given to students who intend to pursue a career in education.
“For those kids that maybe their parents just make too much and they don’t get a lot of other scholarships, this gives them the chance to not be strapped down by their socioeconomic status and be able to pursue their dreams that they just wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” Doutree said. “We want to address those kids in the middle who need a little extra help to get to the college or university they want to go to.”
Doutree says Locke’s gift demonstrates the strong sense of community support that has long been part of the Escanaba Area Public Schools experience.
“Once an Eskymo, always an Eskymo,” said Doutree. “This gentleman was 90-some years old, and he was still thinking about some place that he hadn’t probably been to in quite a long time. Escanaba and the school system must have left a lasting impression on him and his mother. Giving back to the kids where his life started, it means a lot. It means this program is going to keep going and keep helping kids. It’s coming full circle.”
The Escanaba Area Public Schools scholarship program has been supporting students for more than half a century. It currently has $9 million under management and distributes over $600,000 each year.
