Paul & Susan Bloom Honor Mother with Endowed Scholarship

Some husbands come home from a trip to the fair with a stuffed animal. Earlier this year, Dr. Paul Bloom came home with two rescue donkeys. His wife Susan took it in stride, having come home one day with a couple of sheep. They have a multi-species menagerie at their home in Northfield Township, including horses, cats, a goat and a dog—and now sheep and two donkeys. Their commitment to MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine—and veterinary students—is as strong as their passion for animals.

Why Philanthropy?When Frances Fisher, Paul Bloom’s mother, passed away last year, the Blooms decided to establish an endowed scholarship in her memory. Their intention is to honor her lifelong passion for education, her love of animals and concern for their welfare, and her generosity of spirit, especially in terms of public welfare. To sustain her memory and support veterinary students pursuing a doctorate in veterinary medicine, they are establishing the Frances Melman Fisher Memorial Fellowship.

“My mother gave me my love of animals,” said Bloom. “And she didn’t only pass that love of animals on to me—she was a fantastic educator and imparted that love to her students, too. What I really wanted was a scholarship that would continue in perpetuity—I didn’t want it to be a one-time award.” The endowment was a way to make that happen.

“The vet school has helped make our successes possible,” said Bloom. “We believe in the mission of the College, and sharing our success is a way to help the school continue to achieve its goals.”

Susan and Paul Bloom met while they were undergraduates at MSU. He graduated with high honors from MSU CVM in 1976 and has worked in small animal medicine since. He was Board Certified in Canine and Feline Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 1984 and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in 2001, making him Michigan’s first board-certified veterinary dermatologist in full-time private practice. He is currently one of fewer than ten double-boarded veterinary dermatologists in the United States.

Bloom maintains a close working relationship with the MSU CVM community, and graduate students frequently spend their dermatology rotation at Dr. Bloom’s Allergy, Skin and Ear Clinic for Pets in Livonia.

The Blooms recall running into Mrs. Fisher’s former students when they were out with her. Past students—some she hadn’t seen in 15 or 20 years— would recognize her and tell her what a difference she made in their lives. Through the endowment, she can continue to make a difference in students’ lives, and the Blooms are both are looking forward to seeing that difference in action.

Summer 2012