Sandra “Sandy” Eason Schmidt still feels grateful for Marie Selby at age 82.
A beneficiary of rent-free housing through the Southern Scholarship Foundation (SSF), Sandy fondly recalled her college experience over a recent lunch at The Columbia Restaurant with the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation staff.
SSF focuses on college students who demonstrate financial need, excellent academic merit and good character. Among the first philanthropic supporters of SSF, Bill and Marie Selby were passionate about removing obstacles for students to pursue higher education.
“I liked to refer to Marie Selby as my fairy godmother that drove a pink Cadillac,” said Sandy.
Marie came to visit the new students shortly after they moved into the Selby House at Florida State University. “I remember she wore a safari hat,” Sandy said.
“Her first concern was the beds. Donated from a military installation, they had bad springs and small mattresses, so Mrs. Selby purchased new beds for our backs.” Marie also delivered a piano and a stereo to the home for the students.
Before leaving for their first Christmas break, the young women were greeted with petit fours Marie sent to the house.
“I had never seen them before,” said Sandy. “Mrs. Selby wanted to make sure we had what we needed to be successful, but she also thought of something special for us that was non-utilitarian.”
When the women graduated from college in 1962, Marie sent Sandy and her classmates checks.
“I can’t remember if they were $100 or $50 checks, but I do remember that we took a weekend cruise.”
Together with her friend Linda, who had shared the Selby House throughout the four years of college, Sandy asked Marie for a visit to thank her for making their education possible. Marie welcomed the two visitors in Sarasota. It was too long ago to remember much about the visit, Sandy recalled, but she did feel at home.
Today Sandy keeps in touch with some members of her graduating class. Those who stayed in the Selby House during those years were the first to graduate with Bill and Marie Selby’s generosity.
Sandy began her career as a math teacher in Hillsborough County junior high school. She eventually returned to college to earn her Master’s degree and continued teaching math in high school.
After meeting her husband in her late thirties, Sandy transitioned to help in his picture frame and art gallery. Today she still lives in the home she shared with her husband near MacDill Airforce Base, active in her church and taking occasional mission-focused trips to Namibia.
For many years, the Selby Foundation continued a tradition of awarding annual institutional grants to SSF to continue its scholarship program for free housing.