Delta College recently received a generous donation to establish a new scholarship endowment. The Saginaw Forty & Eight organization will proudly carry on its legacy of providing financial support to students pursuing a nursing degree.

The Forty & Eight was founded nationally in 1920 by American veterans returning from World War I in France. Originally an arm of The American Legion, the Forty & Eight became an independent and separately incorporated veteran's organization in 1960.  

The title of their organization comes from the box cars used to transport troops to the front in France during World War I. The cargo capacity sign “40 Hommes/8 Chevaux” was written on each French box car that carried American doughboys to the front. Each car could hold 40 men or eight horses - known as forty-and-eights that the troops considered a miserable travel method.

At a recent meeting of the Saginaw group, only six of their 18 active members were in attendance, discussing how to respectfully wind down the group and leave a legacy. They donated their “street legal” train engine, involved in parades for decades, to the Great Lakes Loons. During the meeting, they voted to donate much of their funds to
Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University to support nursing.

The Saginaw Forty & Eight members are proud of their years of fundraising (primarily through community bingo games in Saginaw Township), their ability to support Saginaw Township Little League teams and their prior support of individual nursing students. But, as with many social organizations of decades past, they have struggled to gain and retain members. The Saginaw group’s membership reached a high point of 105 over the decades but now includes just 18 active members.

Nationally, Forty & Eight has been committed to charitable and patriotic aims, including our nation’s health, by fostering a nurses’ training program for nearly 70 years. Delta College is proud to partner with the local Saginaw Forty & Eight group to honor their contributions and build a legacy in their name that will last long into the future. 

Interested in creating an endowment or supporting scholarships at Delta College? Contact Julie Dorcey at 989-686-9079 or juliedorcey@delta.edu.