The Yellowknife Community Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Adolph Duesterhus STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Scholarship.
The scholarship will be open to students from Yellowknife pursuing a post-secondary education in a STEM related field.
Quote by Robin Greig, President of the Yellowknife Community Foundation – “We are very pleased that Adolph Duesterhus will be commemorated by the establishment of this new scholarship. Mr. Duesterhus was one of the early pioneers of Yellowknife. This scholarship will memorialize his contribution to our community and help it grow into the future through support for students in STEM fields.
On October 17, 2012, then Member of the Legislative Assembly for Weledeh, Bob Bromley, reported on Adolph Duesterhus’ passing in a Members Statement:
| MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF THE LATE ADOLF DUESTERHUS MR. BROMLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to follow your lead and remember some of the people across the Northwest Territories that are no longer with us. Today I’d specifically like to recognize the passing of a remarkable northern pioneer and long-time Weledeh resident, Adolph Duesterhus. Adolph came to Canada from Germany after enduring the terrible experiences of war on the Russian front and internment in a Soviet prisoner of war camp. He arrived in Canada April 25, 1953, with eight dollars and a train ticket to Edmonton. Arriving in Edmonton, he answered a Giant Mine job ad, and was in Yellowknife drawing a paycheque within two weeks of stepping off the boat. After a year at Giant, Adolph moved to Curry Construction, where he stayed many years running equipment and supplies across the territory; an original ice road catskinner long before the truckers. His experiences are chronicled in the unpublished memoire, Driving Northern Byways: Memories of Northern Ground Transport in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Adolph was a family neighbour and I personally heard many of his hair-raising tales of too-heavy equipment on too-thin ice. Perhaps less well known but equally remarkable was Adolph’s scholarly passion for advanced physics. Self-taught in one of the most intellectually challenging disciplines, Adolph was also a pioneer in the mindscapes of complex mathematics and theory. He was a contributor to scholarly journals and always at work on explanations of phenomena few of us are aware of, let alone understand. Though a private and perhaps even eccentric man, Adolph was a willing contributor to community projects and a reliable helper to his friends and neighbours. In the closing passage of his book, Adolph pays tribute to the people who welcomed him and worked with him to build a better community. He said, “All of the good people helped make Yellowknife what it is today. I salute them all.” Adolph Duesterhus, a friend of the Yellowknife Community Foundation, passed away on Friday, September 28th, and is survived by two nephews living in Germany. Mr. Speaker, I will miss his unique character and northern wisdom. Mahsi. |
Scholarship applications are now being accepted for the Adolph Duesterhus STEM Scholarship.
The Yellowknife Community Foundation was formed in 1993 to provide interested individuals and organizations with a means of supporting projects in our community for the enduring future. The Foundation is not singularly dedicated to any specific area of support. It embodies a simple concept – that people working together can make a difference.
For more information contact:
Yellowknife Community Foundation
Rosella Stoesz
Phone: (867) 446 4527
Email: info@ykcf.ca
