Marine Corps Veteran's Bequest Supports Northwestern Law

Mike Osajda '76 JD Gives Back to School That Was a "Welcoming Place For Those Who Served"

Michael Osajda '76 JD was first accepted to Northwestern Law in 1968, the same year a new government policy abolished draft deferments for most male graduate students. The policy affected 650,000 male students across the country, according to the Congressional Quarterly. "We lost 25 people by Thanksgiving," Osajda says of his 1L class. Expecting to be drafted before classes wrapped up, Osajda decided to enroll in the Marine Corps Officer Program, which allowed him to finish his first year.

Then the Law School did something that Osajda never forgot. "There was a policy decision that, for those of us who were leaving to serve, we had an automatic acceptance back to the school upon our return," Osajda says. The promise was delivered by Francis Spalding '64 JD, an associate dean and veteran of the Korean War who taught at the Law School for 17 years. "Given the political climate of the time, the feeling of the populace—especially in university education—was to toss [service members] aside. But Northwestern bucked that trend by offering to take us back without any problem. The school went out of its way for us."

It was an act of support that helped Osajda, who spent five years in the Marine Corps on active duty, achieve a career that included serving as a Judge Advocate in Okinawa, Japan; assistant general counsel at Midway Airlines; and lead counsel at Motorola, Inc. In addition to ensuring he had a law school to return to, the guarantee helped Osajda get accepted into the Marine Corps Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP), which covered his law school tuition.

Osajda returned to Northwestern Law in 1974. He was not the only student who took advantage of the school's offer, and was joined by a classmate who had served in the US Army Special Forces during his absence. Northwestern Law also accepted a number of other veterans of the Vietnam War after their service, and hired service members as faculty, too. Col. William Chamberlin, a career Marine and highly decorated combat veteran in World War II, was the first two-time recipient of the Robert Childres Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence. Sam Thompson, another Marine veteran, was also on the faculty. "The school was a welcoming place for those who served," Osajda says.

Fifty years later, Osajda chose to give back to the school that supported him and his fellow service members during a critical time in his life, as well as our nation's history. His generous bequest, which will be realized at the end of his lifetime, will provide unrestricted support to the Law School. Bequests—most often made through a will or trust—are popular because they are simple, revocable, and allow donors to retain control of their assets while they are alive.

"Michael Osajda's generosity will help the Law School move forward on a number of key initiatives," says Kimberly Yuracko, Dean and Judd and Mary Morris Leighton Professor of Law. "Unrestricted gifts are especially beneficial to the Law School because they can be directed to areas of critical priority. We are incredibly grateful when our alumni give back after such illustrious careers, and appreciate that the unrestricted nature of this gift shows real trust in Law School leadership to steward it wisely."

Now retired, Osajda spends much of his time traveling and volunteering with his church. "When life has been good to you, you ought to give back," he says of his choice to include the Law School in his planned giving. "I want to ensure that the institutions I believe in can continue to do their good and valuable work."

If life has been good to you

To give back and support future generations of students, please contact Northwestern Gift Planning to discuss a bequest or other gift in your estate plan.