From Surviving a Nazi Concentration Camp to Realizing the American Dream

Marvin Crell was born in Poland in 1932, and as a child spent four years imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. He survived, and eventually made it to Fort Wayne, Indiana with his family in 1948. He was 16 years old and didn't speak English.

Marvin worked hard to save the paychecks from his many factory jobs, learn English, and enroll himself in Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne in 1951. A year later he transferred to IU Bloomington, where he met his future wife, Harriet, and earned two degrees—an A.B. in government in 1954 and a J.D. in 1957.

After finishing his degrees, he returned to Fort Wayne where he would practice law for more than 50 years as a partner of the law firm Tourkow, Crell, Rosenblatt & Johnston. Harriet, also an IU graduate, earned her BS degree in education in 1955 and taught in the Allen County school system for many years.

To honor the time they spent at IU, the Crells recently used funds from their IRA to establish the Marvin and Harriet Crell Memorial Legacy Endowed Scholarship . The program is designed to reward students who demonstrate hard work, financial need, and a dedication to obtaining their degree.

"If it weren't for IPFW, I probably wouldn't have attended college at all," Marvin says. "I would like for students to have the opportunity that I had: a chance to get their college education and to choose a career that will enhance their future and allow them to make a good living."

In the Crells' version of the American dream, success is best when shared with others. For this, generations of Indiana University–Fort Wayne students will be forever grateful.

You Can Make a Difference

If you're interested in making a deferred gift from your retirement plan like the Crells have done, you may benefit from a wide range of tax incentives. Learn more about the benefits of making a deferred gift.