In Memory of Joe McClain
Joe McClain made an impact on the Cornell College community. He was a long-time Mount Vernon resident, volunteer fireman, former food service director at Cornell, and most notably, the proprietor of Joe’s International Airport, a local watering hole for students and locals from 1976–2002. Joe provided jobs, rental apartments, advice, and so much more to Cornell students for over 26 years.
The McClain Family Endowed Scholarship
Joe’s family, Cornell alumni, former employees, and friends originally planned to create a scholarship in his honor; however, after Joe’s daughter, Wendy, passed away in 2022, the name of the scholarship was changed to reflect the incredible impact the entire McClain Family has had on the Cornell and Mount Vernon communities. Joe's wife, Barb, has been a long-time educator in the local school district. Wendy followed Barb's footsteps and became an elementary school teacher and, like her father, she befriended and guided many Cornell students over the years. Her door was always open and she was always willing to lend an ear or give sound advice when needed.
To date, $30,000 has been raised toward the $50,000 needed to establish the McClain Family Endowed Scholarship. Just as Joe helped to support many Cornell students, each year the scholarship will be used to support a hardworking, dedicated student who must work to contribute to the costs of their education.
All gifts will be matched!
Gifts of any size will be matched 1:1 up to $10,000. This match was made possible by the generosity of another local icon: Truman Jordan, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry.
A message from Candy Werth Black ’89 and Ted Carr ’90
“During his years in Mount Vernon, Joe befriended, employed, mentored, and educated Cornell students for over 26 years. He provided an education that was far beyond the classroom. He taught customers and employees about responsibility, dedication, and hard work. He taught students to ask questions and to think things through rather than blindly accept what they hear in classrooms, on the news, or on television. Although he wasn’t a professor at Cornell, he certainly educated many on the ways of life.
In Joe’s memory, this scholarship is to give back a small portion of what he gave to so many Cornell students.”