COLLEGE PARK, MD – Margie and Bob Bedingfield, 1972 and 1970 graduates of the University of Maryland, respectively, have made a $1.625 million commitment to Maryland Athletics through the creation of two endowed scholarships. 

Both scholarships will provide merit-based support for undergraduate student-athletes in perpetuity, with the Margie and Bob Bedingfield Endowed Scholarship for Men's Basketball supporting the men's basketball program and the Margie and Bob Bedingfield Endowed Scholarship for Athletics supporting all programs with preference given to the men's basketball and men's and women's golf programs. 

"We are strong advocates for the vital role that sports, and specifically collegiate athletics, plays in developing future leaders in business and community," said Bob Bedingfield. "This gift is representative of our continued commitment to ensuring all qualified young people have the opportunity to participate in this transformative opportunity and grow into the best versions of themselves." 

"Gifts of this magnitude are not taken lightly, and we can't thank Margie and Bob enough for their vision and commitment," said Damon Evans, the Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics. "Terrapin student-athletes cannot achieve their lofty goals both on the playing surface and in the classroom without this type of generous support from our alumni and community, and we look forward to seeing the impact of Margie and Bob's generosity in the years and decades to come." 

This commitment is part of a total commitment of $1.750 million that also includes the Margie and Bob Bedingfield Maryland Promise Scholarship, which benefits a student in the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Margie, who earned a degree in Education from UMD College Park in 1972, has been heavily involved in the family's philanthropic and community service efforts over the years. Margie and Bob's son, Kenneth "Ken" Bedingfield, is a 1994 graduate of the Smith School of Business and is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at L3Harris. 

Bob, an Emeritus Trustee of the University of the Maryland College Park Foundation, was with Ernst & Young for more than 40 years and also has been actively involved in volunteer activities at College Park for more than 40 years.