Endowed Scholarship at Gannon University to Honor Memory of Former Erie County DA Michael J. Veshecco
Posted: November 16, 2015The late former Erie County District Attorney Michael J.
Veshecco will be remembered through the establishment of an endowed
memorial scholarship at Gannon University. Veshecco's son, Nathan,
of Yellow Springs, Ohio, established the scholarship in his
father's memory in September.
"My dad lived 28 years in a wheelchair, and even I can't begin
to understand the hardships of that experience," Nathan Veshecco
said. "What I do know is that living with mobility issues can be,
among other things, extremely stressful, costly and time consuming.
Having just marked the 25th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act - the compliance and implementation of which dad
crusaded for in all the places he lived - I felt it was most
appropriate for a scholarship in his name to, in some way, continue
addressing that struggle. If this endowment can help to lighten the
load even a little for Gannon students with mobility concerns, I
think it's worth it."
During his eight years as district attorney, Veshecco embodied a
tough and progressive approach to the office, which collectively
took on over 15,000 cases and raised the overall conviction rate in
the county to 90 percent. He cultivated a talented bipartisan staff
referred to as "The Dream Team," which included several future
judges, as well as future Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.
"As dad said in one of his initial 1979 campaign ads, 'the
district attorney is a spokesman for the people - not numbers, not
statistics, but people.' His approach to justice was visceral and
compassionate, and every administration since his departure has
been tasked with rising to the standard he set in that way. When I
speak to any of his former colleagues or contemporaries, the mark
he left is clear."
After leaving the office in 1987, Veshecco held a fellowship at
the Cleveland Clinic and later worked under Governor Ridge in the
General Counsel's Office.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the endowed scholarship can do
so by sending checks made payable to Gannon University and include
Mike Veshecco, Esq. Endowed Mobility Scholarship in the memo
section of the check. Send gifts to the attention of Jana Hunt;
Coordinator of Gifts and Records; Gannon University; 109 University
Square; Erie, PA 16541. Gifts can also be made online here. For
online gifts, please include Mike Veshecco, Esq. Endowed Mobility
Scholarship on the comments line.