Dan and Laura Mahony Establish Scholarship to Honor Late Friend

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — When he was in the eighth grade, Winthrop President Dan Mahony's best friend, the late Daniel "Danny" Nulman, asked him to make a deal: Nulman insisted that Mahony was going places, and he wanted to be a part of his success. Now the Mahonys have fulfilled that promise by personally funding a new scholarship for Winthrop students.

The Daniel E. Nulman Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established by Mahony and his wife, Laura, will support Winthrop students who exhibit financial need and serve as leaders within the university community.

Mahony said that they established the scholarship because he and his wife wanted to fulfill his eighth-grade promise to Nulman, who drew up a written pact and paid Mahony 10 cents to "ride along" with Mahony in the future. The Mahonys also felt it was important to make a major gift to Winthrop on their first day in their new roles.

"Establishing the scholarship is my way of bringing Danny along for the ride in a way that is beneficial to Winthrop," said Mahony.

Mahony and Nulman grew up together in Clinton, New Jersey, and became close friends during their grade school years. The two kept in touch after high school, when Mahony attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Nulman went to Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey).

Nulman, known for his self-deprecating sense of humor, was a speech, communication and theatre major, and a member of Alpha Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity. He was an active volunteer for United Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey, and he planned to pursue a career in broadcast journalism after graduation. He was killed in a car accident in October 1987 while he was still a student.

Mahony credits Nulman with teaching him to use humor to connect with people. He said the scholarship is a way to honor Nulman's legacy of humor and compassion.

"I think that providing scholarships for students in need would make Danny happy," he said.

Watch the video to learn more about the Daniel E. Nulman Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

For more information, contact Meredith Carter, communications coordinator, at 803/323-2236 or carterm@winthrop.edu.