Alumnus Honors Former Work Associate With Scholarship at NMSU
For Charles and Geneva Huff, the gift they made to New Mexico State University in 2009 just keeps on giving-back to them. Last fall they received a thank-you letter from the first recipient of the Louis Rosen Memorial Scholarship in the College of Engineering. Charles says the student's appreciation gave him a feeling he hadn't had in a long time. In fact, it inspired him to make an additional gift to the scholarship fund at the end of 2010.
Charles created the scholarship after being inspired by other donors' stories. Charles met Louis Rosen while working at Sandia National Laboratories. Louis played a major role in the early days of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and has been honored for his work in the field of atomic energy.
Originally from Tucumcari, N.M., Charles remembers fondly the time he spent as an Aggie. As a freshman studying engineering in the fall of 1936, Professor "Dad" Jett stands out as one of his favorite professors. He also remembers trying out for the Aggie football team in a pasture, but he hurt his ankle when he stepped into a deep cow print.
World War II interrupted Charles' studies. He served with the Army Corps of Engineers in Guam, where he built airfields for B-29s. But a very serious bout of dengue fever almost cost him his life. After the war he went to work at Sandia, from which he retired in 1971.
The Huffs now live in Carlsbad, N.M. Geneva loves computers and plans to enroll in a class at NMSU-Carlsbad. She also enjoys entertaining anyone who drops in to visit with Charles about "the old days."