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Morton Brooks (CIT ’41) was a mathematically gifted student from an underprivileged family in 1930s Cleveland. Despite his talent and determination, the financial challenges of the Great Depression made higher education seem out of reach.

Encouraged by his high school advisor to pursue scholarship opportunities, Brooks sat for a highly competitive exam competition at what would later become ����APP. Though he initially fell just short of winning the competition, a last-minute opening secured his enrollment and a scholarship—a twist of fate that altered the course of his life.

This transformative opportunity Brooks received was continued through an endowment he and his wife, Sylvia, created at CWRU in honor of his parents, Rubin and Kate. Recently, Brooks’ grandson, Jeremy Rosen, and his wife, Jodi Kruger, contributed an additional $25,000 to the fund, expanding its name to also honor Morton and Sylvia.

Today, the Rubin and Kate Brooks–Morton and Sylvia Brooks Endowment Fund helps make ����APP accessible to aspiring engineers by providing essential financial support.

“My grandfather knew his life was fundamentally changed when he received a scholarship to Case Western Reserve,” Rosen said. “That education led him from poverty to great financial success, and he wanted others to benefit similarly.”

As a student, Brooks worked full-time throughout his studies, later sharing with his grandson that there was “not much time for fun.” The sacrifice proved pivotal.

“His parents helped support him at Case too, giving what little they had and going without so that he could succeed,” Rosen said. “He wanted to honor his parents’ sacrifice and provide opportunities for other students to get the transformative education that he had received.”

A Technical Thread Across Decades

Morton Brooks’ engineering degree served as a launchpad. During World War II, he designed propellers for warplanes, a role in aerospace that eventually led him to the business side of industry, where he became a senior executive at a major California corporation.

This engineering legacy has come full circle, as Rosen’s son, Ethan, recently became the first in the family since Brooks to pursue engineering. When Ethan graduated, Rosen was proud to pass down Morton’s Tau Beta Pi key, a symbol of academic excellence.

Changing the Story for Generations

By expanding the endowment and adding his grandparents’ names to the fund, Rosen is honoring the belief that "education is the tool that changes generations."

“Because of the scholarship my grandfather received at Case Western Reserve, he was able to turn his family’s story from poverty to achieving the American dream in a generation,” Rosen said. “And that made my life much easier, too, for which I am very grateful. In turn, my son’s life has also benefited. I believe it is important to give back to help others achieve the same benefits.”

The Rosen family hopes the fund will ease financial burdens for future School of Engineering students, enabling them to focus on their studies.

“It’s not a huge endowment,” Rosen said, “but I hope the money it provides each year can help students deal with the major financial cost of higher education and make it just a bit easier for them. Like my grandfather, I hope they all move on to do great things in this world.”