Students in the Fisher College of Business pass through the doors of Schoenbaum Hall daily, many unaware of the generous contributions of Betty F. Schoenbaum and her late husband, Alex, for whom the building is named.

After graduating from Ohio State, both in 1939, the Schoenbaums established the successful Shoney’s restaurant chain in the 1950s. For decades, they gave to their community and a host of organizations with true philanthropic zeal.

In 1973, they started the Schoenbaum Fund through the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation in Charleston, W.Va. The fund has helped more than 207 public schools and organizations buy sports and recreation equipment.

The Schoenbaums also funded the sculpture for Charleston’s Civic Center, the first violin chair for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and a gazebo in Charleston’s Davis Park, to name just a few of their contributions.

In 1988, they established the Schoenbaum Family Foundation to support a variety of organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, Covenant Fellowship Home, Manna Meal, and the Nature Conservancy of West Virginia.

Since Alex’s death in 1996, Betty has continued their tradition of charitable works. With her support, the city of Charleston established the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center—named in honor of Alex—which houses nonprofit social services agencies. Betty also has established six annuity trusts that benefit 22 different charities in Charleston, Columbus, and Sarasota, Fla.

Betty, a lifetime member of the Sarasota-Manatee Alumni Club, helped the next generation of alumni by establishing an endowed scholarship fund for the College of Education, a major contribution to Schoenbaum Hall, and funding for several other scholarships at Ohio State and West Virginia University.

Betty also was instrumental in the conception and development of the Schoenbaum Family Center in partnership with College of Human Ecology. The childhood development center for children through age four is located in the Weinland Park neighborhood near campus.

Betty has served on the boards of many organizations, from the Ohio State Foundation and the Salvation Army advisory board to the American Jewish Committee and Women’s Resource Center of Sarasota. While her executive-level contributions are vast, she is equally comfortable doing behind-the-scenes work, such as helping the Women’s Resource Center select scholarship recipients and personally encouraging those women.

“Betty gives inspiration and a catching devotion to humanitarian causes to all she meets, whether she is working the room at a football game-watch celebration or a black tie event. However, what is truly amazing about her humble, unassuming manner is her contributions to nonprofits in our local community, in the Buckeye state, and around the world,” said Jamie Tacy, president of the Sarasota-Manatee Alumni Club.