Jon Huntsman, the Utah billionaire philanthropist has passed away, but Southeast Idaho education leaders will not forget him anytime soon.

Arthur Vailas and Kent Tingey, President and Vice President of Idaho State University, and Dr. Fahim Rahim were all recently interviewed about the monumental impact Huntsman has had for education in Southeast Idaho and the cancer patients that his institute has treated.

Tingey spoke fondly of the day Huntsman announced he would be instituting the Huntsman scholarship for Idaho State University’s students. In 2002, Huntsman received an honorary doctorate and was receiving a tour of the university beforehand from Tingey.

“He talked about how Southeastern Idaho and the people here had an important impact in shaping his life and career,” Tingey said.

During his speech, Huntsman announced his contribution to ISU in the form of a scholarship that would be targeted toward students who needed funding for college but weren’t high-achieving students who would have multiple options for scholarships and funding.

Vailas summarized the scholarship saying, “They’ve provided quite a bit of funding over the years for scholarship students, and basically the type of scholarship is for students who aren’t necessarily merit scholars, but they’re average students coming from Idaho that really need funding and they have ability.”

Vailas also spoke to the necessity of the scholarship, saying, “They’re looking for the average Idaho student that can do college work and can excel while they’re in college and not worry about funding, and that’s a real noble cause because there’s a lot of students in that category.”

Speaking about the scholarship program, Tingey said, “They have funded that scholarship program for 17 straight years, and it has been an extraordinary blessing and benefit to this university, and to literally hundreds of students from around here who have benefitted from that scholarship.”

Tingey also spoke to Huntsman and his wife, Karen, and their kindness when he recounted a story from when the Huntsmans were first getting involved with Idaho State University.

The university was holding a donor dinner that the couple was attending, and they were having volunteer students serve as valet parking. When the Huntsmans tried to leave the dinner to drive back to Salt Lake City, they found that one of the students had accidentally locked their keys in their car. The Huntsmans laughed it off, and were eventually able to recover their keys and go home that night, and that emphasized their kindness to Tingey.

And it’s not just education that Huntsman has benefitted.

“He’s spent millions and millions of dollars to try to eradicate cancer and has given over a billion dollars to charitable causes,” Tingey said.

A year ago, Dr. Fahim Rahim was a patient at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Rahim said Huntsman’s work left a strong impression on him.

“I never got to meet Jon Huntsman, but his work, his vision, his effort left a true mark on my heart,” Rahim said.

Rahim spoke about the atmosphere at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and said there was a culture of feeling and care and kindness, and he left professionally inspired as well as personally.

“In life, many of us leave legacies for our kids,” Rahim said. “Some men leave footprints for their families and friends, but the real life that is lived is the life of the person who leaves fingerprints in the hearts and souls of people that they may never meet.”