Ralph and Geraldine Jung Scholarship

Ralph and Geraldine Jung were of one mind—in their dedication to the church, in their commitment to Christian stewardship and in their dedication to their profession. Both were physicians, but each had a sense of God’s direction in their work. When it came to deciding on an intention for this endowed scholarship, they were once again of one mind—it would be for students in the biological sciences.

Dr. Ralph Jung was professor of medicine and director of graduate medical education at the University of Southern California. In that position he supervised pulmonary and critical care instruction and was responsible for training within all specialty programs in medicine. He had also served as assistant dean of USC’s medical school, guiding the professional lives of many students who attended that institution.

Dr. Geraldine Jung served for 20 years as emergency department physician at a Valencia hospital. By the time this scholarship was initiated, however, she was staff physician for Los Angeles County Juvenile Health Services where she cared for juvenile offenders. This was a position she truly liked because she was a tough but compassionate woman with a healthy attitude toward life. She communicated well with her patients, and she felt she was making a difference in their lives.

The Jungs were active members of Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church in Pasadena. This scholarship was created from the tithe of a generous inheritance they received in 1996. They saw the scholarship as a way to extend their resources for the benefit of academically strong students planning to follow a lifetime career in the biological sciences.

It was their decision that the Ralph and Geraldine Jung Scholarship should be awarded to an upper-division student with at least a 3.5 grade point average who was majoring in the biological sciences “in the broad sense.” Although they knew the importance of financial aid, they did not make need a determining factor for receiving the scholarship.

In their long-range planning for their resources at the end of life, the Jungs committed the proceeds of a generous life insurance policy to the enhancement of this endowment.