Barbara Bere' and Robert Bere'

James F. Beré was an alumnus and long-time supporter of Calvin College. At the time of his death in 1992 he was Chairman and CEO of Borg-Warner Corporation in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Beré was one of the most constructively involved business leaders in Chicago. He felt that every businessman should help schools find new and better ways to accomplish their primary mission, and he had a special concern for assisting racial and ethnic minorities toward success in their education. He believed each individual has an obligation to reach beyond the minimal, to engage in an endless quest for excellence, and to make a commitment to continuous renewal. Jim Beré lived his beliefs, had a strong sense of social responsibility, and understood the synergy between the business, political, educational, and cultural worlds.

This scholarship is established at Calvin College to carry out Mr. Beré’s deeply held belief that racial and ethnic minorities should have increased opportunities to pursue a Christian higher education.