During the summer of 1965 Andy van Benschoten took G429 at IUGFS.  In 1966 he returned as a G429 Associate Instructor.  He went on to Harvard as a graduate student in the History of Science and was a teaching fellow for the introductory geology course where he met Phil Rapoport.  Andy convinced Phil to major in geology and eventually take G429 in 1971.  Phil graduated Harvard and went on to Manchester University on a Marshall Fellowship to continue his geology studies.  Unfortunately, Phil died tragically in a mountain climbing accident in Wales in 1973.

Andy always remembered his two summers at IUGFS as a highlight of his life and he knew Phil felt the same way.  Andy established an estate gift for scholarships to IUGFS to help others experience what meant so much to him and Phil.  Andy had a diverse career that involved politics, legal work, academics, and many other things.  He served in several roles at SUNY-Oneonta and has designated a first preference for the scholarships in his and Phil’s names to go to students from SUNY-Oneonta or Harvard. 

Sadly, Andy passed away in late-2019 and 2021 will be the first year that the IUGFS Van Benschoten-Rapoport Scholarship will be awarded.