[View Point] To those whom much is given, much is expected

Upon being welcomed to the Leadership Class of 1998, I remember Gary Rollins, chairman of Orkin Pest Control, stating that individuals who have achieved business or personal success have an obligation to give back to society. "To those whom much is given, much is expected," he said. I recalled those heartfelt words while reading newspaper accounts of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster in late December. With more than 225,000 dead or missing — one-third of them children — and thousands of others left homeless, few natural disasters have taken a greater human toll.

Like you, the staff of PCT magazine was moved by the images being transmitted from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and other countries in the region, and we wanted to do our part to help. Therefore, in addition to ongoing coverage of this human tragedy on our Web site and in PCT magazine, GIE Media will be donating ad space to USA Freedom Corps, an organization created by President George W. Bush to help Americans answer the call to volunteerism. The group is currently serving as a clearinghouse for reputable charities ready to turn your cash contributions for tsunami relief into hope. As protectors of public health, a key concern in post-tsunami relief efforts, we’re asking you to heed the President’s call and bring comfort and aid to the millions of people who have been impacted by this tragedy.

Speaking of worthy causes, last year I was pleased to serve on the committee that was given the task of securing funds to create an Endowed Chair in Urban Entomology at Purdue University, an institution with historic roots in the pest control industry. In response to this need, the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation generously stepped up to the plate and donated $1.5 million to endow the O. Wayne Rollins/Orkin Chair in Urban Entomology.

"As chairperson of the Purdue University Endowed Chair initiative, I want to express my personal thanks to the members of the Rollins family who have so generously stepped forward to endow this academic chair in honor of O. Wayne Rollins," said Chairperson Judy Dold, president of Rose Pest Solutions, Chicago, Ill. "The commitment of the Purdue University Department of Entomology, along with the Rollins Foundation, to generate pragmatic research with specific application to PMPs in the field is exactly what the industry so desperately needs."

The aforementioned effort is one of many opportunities for "Friends of Purdue Entomology" to support the university. Earlier in 2004, Purdue alumnus Charlie Hromada and his wife, Frankie, made a significant contribution to help renovate Pfendler Hall, where the former Terminix executive’s successful pest control career began. And efforts continue to move forward to create a fund in honor of Dr. John Osmun, a legendary figure in the pest control industry who established the first four-year program devoted to urban and industrial entomology. To learn more about these and other opportunities to contribute to one of the country’s great institutions of higher learning — and the pest control industry in the process — turn to page 92. And remember, "To those whom much is given much is expected."

The author is publisher of PCT magazine.