It was 1958, in her second week of her freshman year at Syracuse University, when Rev. Dr. Elaine B. Eachus ’61, G’64 met her future husband, Alan “Ace” C. Eachus ’60, G’64, a chemistry major. Both had grown up in small Upstate New York towns, Alan in Chittenango and Elaine near Canandaigua.
She graduated in 1961 and they married six days later, living in the old married student housing on South Campus while Alan completed his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at SUNY-ESF. Elaine pursued a master’s degree in elementary education and taught full-time in the Jordan Elbridge School District.
Elaine has fond campus memories. One that stands out is discovering the Gebbie Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic: “I can remember walking up Crouse Avenue and thinking how important it was to have a place where there was a focus on speech, for that is what connects us, makes it possible to be a part of the world and to be understood. That notion stuck with me.”
Funding Future Generations
The Eachuses believe that everyone can thrive when provided with opportunity and the right tools, and they have turned their conviction into legacy, establishing an endowment with the School of Education’s Center on Disability and Inclusion (CDI). The Eachus Family Foundation Fund will support the Center’s research activities related to the needs of individuals with autism.
“It is wonderful to be able to be a part of the ongoing pursuit of Syracuse University’s School of Education to provide a possibility, a portal, and an impetus for change.”
The Center’s research spans topics such as disability studies, inclusion, inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE), language and communication, neurodiversity, policy and leadership, and teacher preparedness and professional development.
CDI Director Christy Ashby notes, “Syracuse University has a long history of cutting-edge research and practice in disability and inclusion, particularly with autistic and neurodivergent individuals. This generous gift will support those continued efforts and ensure we remain at the forefront of advancing access, equity, and opportunity. The Eachus’ commitment to possibility and opportunity aligns well with our focus on presuming competence and breaking down barriers to inclusion.”
Where It All Began
After completing their studies at Syracuse in 1964, the Eachuses moved to Alabama where Alan was on active duty at the Army Missile Center in Huntsville. The Eachuses started a family which now includes their two sons’ families and six grandchildren, who are spread across Miami, Michigan, Texas, Boston, and New York, and a granddaughter who will graduate this May from the Miami University in Ohio.
The Eachuses are proud of their family and passionate in their commitment to higher education which changes lives and offers great hope and many surprises. Elaine likens it to her gardening: “The potential of autism research is like planting seeds, nurturing the growth and seeing the wonder of it all. Kids who can’t speak or have developmental challenges can grow in ways that astound and integrate them into the world.”
A Gift Stemming from Gratitude
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at Syracuse University put Alan in a position to eventually retire from the Army as a colonel. His career in the chemical industry gave him the opportunity to travel worldwide as a technical service director. Elaine’s careers included teacher, public school librarian, and minister. Today, she is an occasional guest preacher, and she has published two books.
Ultimately, the couple say their gift is about gratitude and promise for future generations: “We hope that everyone can lead their best lives now, and it is wonderful to be able to be a part of the ongoing pursuit of Syracuse University’s School of Education to provide a possibility, a portal, and an impetus for change.”