Terp Couple Makes $1.75M Gift to Endow Athletics, Business Scholarships

Margie ’72 and Bob Bedingfield ’70 directed $1.625 million to provide merit-based funding for undergraduate student-athletes in perpetuity; one endowed scholarship in their name will go to the men’s basketball program and the other will support 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.”

The couple also designated $125,000 for the new Margie and Bob Bedingfield Maryland Promise Scholarship, which benefits undergraduates with financial need who are residents of Maryland or the District of Columbia, with a preference going to Smith School majors.

The Bedingfield family has a long history with the Smith School. Bob, his son, Kenneth Bedingfield ’94, and Bob’s brother, James Bedingfield ’66, MBA ’68, D.B.A. ’72, are all graduates; James is now a professor emeritus.

“We are grateful to Margie and Bob for continuing their support of the Smith community through the Margie and Bob Bedingfield Maryland Promise Scholarship,” said Dean Prabhudev Konana. “This scholarship will allow Smith to continue to attract the best students from the region to receive the same top-notch education the Bedingfields take pride in supporting.”

Margie, who earned a degree in education from UMD, has been heavily involved in the family’s philanthropic and community service efforts over the years. Ken is 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 has been volunteering at College Park for more than 40 years.