Cathy Oberg Blight has made a $1 million gift to Michigan State University Libraries, establishing a new endowment fund that will provide support to student employees today and well into the future.
Oberg Blight, a three-time graduate of MSU who retired in 2018 from her position as director of pathology for Hurley Medical Center in Flint, said she was inspired to create the Cathy Oberg Blight, M.D., Libraries Student Employee Support Fund by way of her MSU student experience. “I knew I was lucky that my parents paid my way through college, but I had friends who had to work to pay tuition and it wasn’t always easy for them,” she recalled. “When I found out about the MSU Libraries student fund, it seemed like a good place to put money toward.”
According to Oberg Blight, her parents were foundational in developing both her love of libraries and her philosophy of investing in people over infrastructure. Both Spartan graduates and educators, her mother was a school librarian who would let Oberg Blight help file and sort books as a child once she was “old enough,” back when card catalogs were in use. Oberg Blight said her father believed strongly that “you do more good when you put your money with people,” a perspective she seems to have proudly inherited along with her appreciation for libraries.
“Growing up, we would always go to the little library in our town, Oxford,” Oberg Blight said. “It had, like many old buildings, this wonderful smell that I’ve always associated with books. Libraries have always been a place of relaxation and refuge, and they’ve always had a special place in my heart and in my life. When it came to donating, I decided that the MSU Libraries was just a really good place to invest, and that it was important to invest in the students who are doing critical work for the Libraries.”
Oberg Blight, who received an undergraduate in biochemistry, followed by a master’s from the College of Natural Science and then a doctorate from the College of Human Medicine in 1977, recalled spending time at the Libraries’ former Conrad Hall branch during her days as an MSU student. When her dorm at Hubbard Hall would get a bit loud, she said, the Conrad Hall library was always “a nice place to go.” She also remembered making use of the Main Library as a recent MSU graduate on visits to football games when she and her companions would “cut through” to the Spartan Stadium.
Given her strong lifelong ties to libraries, it might come as no surprise that Oberg Blight’s $1 million gift is just the most recent of several significant contributions previously made to the MSU Libraries. Her past support includes establishing the Cathy Oberg Blight Special Collections Endowment through a planned gift as well as a gift to support MSU Libraries’ Stephen O. Murray & Keelung Hong Special Collections renovation project.
MSU Libraries Senior Director of Development Caitlyn Perry Dial said that Oberg Blight’s support over the years has been “nothing short of incredible.”
“Few donors have shaped the future of the MSU Libraries as profoundly as Dr. Cathy Oberg Blight,” Dial said. “Her philanthropy reflects a deep belief in the value of libraries as places of opportunity, discovery and growth. While her previous gifts have strengthened our collections and facilities, this landmark endowment invests in something equally important: our students. By supporting student employees, Dr. Blight is helping ensure that students can gain valuable professional experience while easing financial burdens that might otherwise stand in the way of their success. It is a powerful expression of her commitment to paying forward the opportunities she received at Michigan State, and its impact will be felt for generations.”
Dean of MSU Libraries Neil Romanosky shared gratitude for the generous support Oberg Blight has provided to both the Libraries and the students employed therein. “It is so important for our students to be recognized for the essential work that they provide on campus, and I am sincerely grateful to Dr. Blight for doing so with her outstanding contribution,” he said. “The Libraries strives to employ as many students as we can to help ensure they graduate on time and pay necessary bills to support their livelihoods. Through our student work opportunities, we also aim to provide academic and professional skills that will aid students in succeeding after graduation. The impact of this gift will go far in ensuring that our students do as well.”
For Oberg Blight, thinking in terms of the long run is an action she hopes her gift will also inspire in others. “I hope that my donation helps students to reach their goals, and, once they graduate from Michigan State, to understand that you have to pay it forward,” Oberg Blight said. “By my giving, I hope to encourage them to give and to start giving early on. You might not be able to do it now, but keep in the back of your mind that, when you were a student, somebody invested in you. And so, when you are able, at some point in time in the future, you should invest in MSU as well.”
The MSU Libraries, ranked among the top research libraries in North America, is at the center of academic life at Michigan State University, providing expertise, collections and infrastructure for discovery and creation. The MSU Libraries facilitates connections that support research, teaching and learning in MSU’s local and global communities.
By: Elise Jajuga, originally published by MSU Libraries.
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