Jim and Carol Cure to receive Crystal Boilermaker commemorating lifetime commitment to Purdue

Jim Cure understands how easy it is to get off track during the first few years as an engineering student. It happened to him.

“I got on academic probation and the army sent me a notice that I needed to report for a physical,” Cure said. “This was during the Vietnam War. I figured if I had to serve, I should learn a trade. I could get into an electronics program if I served in the Navy for four years, so that’s what I did.”

If it weren’t for getting off track, Cure may never have met Carol, his wife of 49 years. Cure’s mother introduced the couple at church in Martinsville, Indiana, Cure’s hometown. Carol served as program director for the area’s Council on Aging and Meals on Wheels. Cure just got out of the military and planned to re-enroll at Purdue. Their romance bloomed.

Following their wedding in 1973, the Cures spent their first two years living in married student housing at Purdue. After earning his degree, Cure landed a job with BMW Constructors in Indianapolis. A sixth-generation Oregonian, Carol yearned to return to the Pacific Northwest. They relocated to Oregon in 1979 and raised their family there, two daughters and one son, a Purdue graduate. Faith, family and philanthropy have been the cornerstones of their marriage.

“It’s fulfilling to help students who otherwise might not have the opportunity to benefit from a Purdue education,” said Cure, who is a second-generation Purdue graduate and president emeritus of Advanced  Technology Group. “That’s why we’ve heavily supported the Civil Engineering Advisory Council Scholarship. This year we awarded three out of state students tuition for four years. I get a lot of satisfaction from helping them come to Purdue. Now it’s up to them to make the grades.”

Over the years, the Cures have committed more than $9 million to Purdue to support the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, John Purdue Club, Purdue Polytechnic High School and University Residences. In recognition of their generosity, the Cures will be awarded the President’s Council Crystal Boilermaker, the highest honor presented to alumni and friends for private giving.

“I’ve been very blessed in my life and career with opportunities,” Cure said. “For the students who receive the gift of scholarship, I hope we instill a spirit of philanthropy in them. I want them to appreciate the value of their Purdue education and choose to give back to the University once they’re established in their careers. If one day, every qualified student received full-ride tuition based on their academics, that would be a wonderful thing.”