DEMPSTER'S LEGACY

One person can make a difference in the world. Robert Dempster, a Sikeston lawyer and civic leader, was such a man. He died last Friday, but he will leave a lasting legacy at Southeast Missouri State University and the entire region.

Dempster played an integral role in starting the university's foundation in 1983. He served as its first president. Over the past 15 years, he contributed nearly $2 million to Southeast.

But Dempster's contributions were more than just dollars. He and his wife, Lynn, a member of the school's Board of Regents, have stood in the forefront for university issues. His effort was instrumental in securing a new business building for the university. That building, targeted for completion in August 1996, will be named in his honor.

He devoted the last decade of his life to promoting and supporting Southeast, even though he was not a graduate.

His charity extended to other institutions as well. The University of Missouri-Columbia benefited from his benevolence, as did the Missouri Delta Medical Center.

Robert Dempster will be missed. But students in business, nursing and many other fields will continue to benefit from his generosity for decades to come.