Sept. 29, 2006
Bellisario's $1 Million Gift Endows Scholarships

Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Donald P. Bellisario, an acclaimed writer, producer and director, has endowed a $1 million Trustee Matching Scholarship in the College of Communications.

And the impact of the largest single endowed scholarship gift in the College’s history will be doubled.

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program—approved by Penn State’s Board of Trustees in 2002—matches 5 percent of the endowed gift annually with University funds.

With the match, a fully endowed $1 million fund generates $100,000 a year for scholarships.

“A $1 million gift, with the University matching the annual 5 percent payout in perpetuity, is transformational for the College and for the scores of Bellisario Trustee Scholars who each year will walk the halls of Carnegie Building,” Dean Doug Anderson said. “Without doubt, Don’s magnificent gift will lift the spirits of its recipients, will make life more manageable for them and will, in many instances, help propel them to a lifetime of successes.”

Bellisario said there were many reasons he decided to endow the scholarship.

“Growing up in a hardscrabble western Pennsylvania coal mining town, I know first hand the sacrifices that are made to give a son or daughter a university education,” he said. “To make their burden a little lighter is what I can give back to the hard working people of Pennsylvania.

“And as a Marine veteran who returned to Penn State with two small children and little money, I remember all too well that struggle. It’s my hope that this scholarship will also ease the financial burden of other young men and women who have defended our country to attain their academic goals.”

Bellisario’s $1 million trustee scholarship is one of only six at that level at Penn State.

“These scholarships are real difference makers,” Anderson said. “And Don’s gift truly sets the gold standard.”

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program is designed to ensure the affordability of a Penn State education for needy and deserving students.
President Graham Spanier said: “Don is not only one of Penn State’s most talented, accomplished and visible alums, he is also one of our most philanthropic. This gift is one of the largest donations for scholarships in the University’s history, and we are immensely grateful.”

Bellisario, a 1961 journalism graduate, has long been a supporter of the College. In 2001, he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus. This award salutes the achievement of outstanding Penn State alumni whose “personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater.” It is the highest honor bestowed on a graduate of the University and is sponsored and administered by the Penn State Board of Trustees.

He is one of the most prolific and successful creators and writers in television history. He has been crafting words and stories for a variety of readers and audiences for more than 30 years, and did so long before he gained notoriety as a creator/producer of several groundbreaking television series.

He began his writing career as a copywriter for a small advertising agency in Lancaster, Pa. He later moved to Dallas to take a copywriting position at the Bloom Agency. After eight years at Bloom, Bellisario had risen to the level of senior vice president, creative director and member of the board of directors.
But he gambled on a new career.

Moving to Hollywood, he became a story editor on “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” the series with Robert Conrad that aired from 1976 to 1978. After five episodes, Bellisario was promoted to producer, a position he held for one year. He then became supervising producer of “Battlestar Galactica” and, subsequently, began to develop his own series.

Bellisario is best known for his creations: “Magnum, P.I.,” “Quantum Leap,” “JAG” and “NCIS.”

Carnegie Building houses a collection of Bellisario’s works. He has provided more than 200 episodes of “JAG” and “NCIS” as an instructional resource for faculty members and students. Each donated episode includes a script for the show and a VHS tape or DVD of the final product.

He frequently meets with students when he is on campus.

Noting that he got his start as a writer and producer of television shows when he was in his early 40s, Bellisario once told a group of Penn State students: “Don’t ever be disheartened if you have a dream. Keep chasing it. Look at me.”

Executive Vice President and Provost Rod Erickson said that “Don Bellisario’s leadership gift is immensely important to the College of Communications, helping future generations of academically talented and financially needy students to achieve their educational dreams.”

Bellisario’s work on “Magnum, P.I.” won him an Edgar Allen Poe writing award. He also received the 2001 Producer of the Year Award from the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors.

In 2004, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While criteria for the award allows nominations for live performances, motion pictures, radio, recording and television, Bellisario stands among a small minority of the honorees who built a career as a TV director, producer and writer.

Bellisario, 71, served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, before returning to Penn State for his journalism degree. He credits Professor Roland Hicks for launching him down the path as a writer.

“He took an interest in me,” Bellisario said. “He challenged me, and I wanted to prove myself. A Navy veteran of the D-Day Invasion who had two landing craft shot out from under him, Professor Hicks was delighted to be alive and teaching in Happy Valley.

“Perhaps that’s why his door was always open and he was so tolerant of my never-ending after-class visits. His guidance set me on the path that led to where I am today.”

Born in Cokesburg, Pa., Bellisario has never forgotten his roots—which is one reason the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program was appealing to him.

“My visits to Penn State over the past few years have brought me into contact with many of the bright young students in the College of Communications,” Bellisario said. “I could spend hours answering their questions, which I must admit are more intelligent than the ones I used to inflict on Professor Hicks. How can I resist giving a small assist to those who are so eager to learn?”

Bellisario enjoys spending time with his seven children, flying helicopters and playing golf. He and his wife Vivienne live in Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia.

Contact information:
Steve Sampsell
Coordinator of College Relations
Phone: (814) 865-8801
Email:sws102@psu.edu