The Gougeon Employees Foundation has a history of offering financial support for the benefit of Delta College students.

The Gougeon Employees Foundation Business & Technology Scholarship supports Delta College students pursuing careers in the Business and Technology Division. Full and part-time students in Bay, Midland or Saginaw counties are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

In 1969, Meade Gougeon and his brother Jan founded the Gougeon Brothers Boatworks to build iceboats in Bay City. As the company expanded over the years, the Gougeons’ gained a reputation for excellence and innovation in using wood and epoxy – a polymer adhesive used to create scratch-resistant protective coatings. Their epoxy formulations became the foundation of West System Epoxy products, and they began selling them to consumers in 1971. 

Inspired by the giving-back culture Meade exemplified, the Gougeon Employees Foundation, a nonprofit consisting of past and current employees, was created in 2010 to donate funds to causes and projects in the community. 

“It was probably the best idea I’ve ever had,” Meade said in a 2015 interview with MLive. “All of a sudden, you not only have employees giving to great causes but giving to causes that maybe you wouldn’t have ever thought to give to.”

Meade passed away in 2017, and Jan passed away in 2012, but their legacy lives on. 

Interested in starting an endowment? Many individuals and businesses establish endowments, which are held by Delta College and provide interest that is awarded as scholarships to students. Contact Julie Dorcey at 989-686-9079  or  juliedorcey@delta.edu.