Mike and Paula Dau’s Legacy Gift Honors Faculty Excellence 

Few can match Mike Dau BA ’58 MLS’16 in preserving Lake Forest College’s heritage. Now Mike and his late wife Paula Dau ’58 have established a permanent legacy that will continue to honor the excellence of retiring faculty for generations to come.

The idea to preserve a record of teaching achievement came to Mike and Paula after they attended a faculty retirement party several years ago. While the party honored those retiring, it was missing a historical element, Mike says. That led the couple to establish the Emeriti Faculty Plaque Program, which Mike’s bequest will continue to support.

Celebrating excellence at Lake Forest College is something Mike, as Athletic Department historian and lover of history, takes seriously. As a member of the Athletics Department Hall of Fame, former standout athlete, and longtime coach of some of the College’s most successful teams, he is also a part of the College’s history. Mike began coaching at Lake Forest College in 1962, and he currently serves as assistant football coach and head handball coach. This year marks his 62nd as a member of the Athletics staff. 

Mike first visited the campus in 1952. Impressed with what he saw, he enrolled soon after. Before long, he was active in all aspects of college life, including theater, track, and football. 

With so much of his life intertwined with Lake Forest College, Mike feels it a duty to support the College now and in the future. “Having received an excellent education with fond memories of their college years, every alum should feel an obligation to support the College.”