Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award

Suzanne L. Houghton Baber, ’48, has made remarkable contributions to CMU, and she remains highly active within the university community.

Suzanne, along with her late husband, Bud, has supported many projects and programs at CMU – the most noteworthy during the 2000 renovations of Park Library. The Babers made a generous gift to the project and as a result, the Baber Room was named in their honor. The Baber Room is the most requested and most used room on campus.

Suzanne and Bud established a charitable gift annuity to fund a scholarship in the College of Education and Human Services. And a recent gift from Suzanne established the Baber Classroom in the new Education and Human Services Building.

Suzanne also has helped fund a scholarship for a student taking classes on Beaver Island. A bench near Miller’s Marsh on Beaver Island has Suzanne’s name on it because of her generous donations. Recently, Suzanne helped name the Butterfly Garden in CMU’s new Botanical Gardens on campus.

Annually, Suzanne gives to the music and theater programs at CMU, and she continues to support programs and projects at her alma mater. She has been very involved with alumni reunions and co-chaired the War Years Reunion with Clarence Tuma. She also has served on the Detroit Area Women’s Connection Advisory Board.

After graduating from CMU, Suzanne worked as a school guidance counselor and enjoyed the opportunity to work with children. When she retired, she became part owner of a yarn and knitting store, and she did proofreading for a local newspaper.

Suzanne had a wonderful time at CMU as a student, and she still enjoys the time she spends at the university, attending as many events as she can each year.