As the lead donor in the Campaign for the Douglas D. Schumann Library & Learning Commons, Schumann, AM ’64, Hon. ’08, is helping to provide Wentworth students with an interdisciplinary
space that fosters collaboration and innovation.
But his generosity extends beyond that. It was another Schumann gift—to the Flanagan Campus Center—that led to the 2012 opening of the Douglas D. Schumann Fitness Center, a stateof-the-art space that cemented Wentworth’s status as a truly residential campus.
Schumann came to Wentworth as a Connecticut native with a healthy interest in getting involved. As a student, he served as an athletic manager while also participating in softball, bowling, the model airplane club, and the aeronautical club. After graduation, Schumann took his newfound knowledge in aircraft maintenance—along with a pioneer spirit—into the working world. The result
was a groundbreaking idea related to sensors and joystick controls in mobile equipment.
In 1972, Schumann founded P-Q Controls, Inc., which he still owns. For more than 30 years, the company has been an industry leader in the outdoor and off-highway controls market, including the refuse, mining, forestry, marine, and construction industries. Schumann’s career success has allowed him to turn his attention toward helping others. In addition to his other gifts to Wentworth, Schumann funds the Douglas D. Schumann Professorship. Gloria Ma, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, is the current recipient.
“Thanks to Doug’s professorship, I was able to buy robotics equipment for a robotics club at a local all-girl’s high school,” Ma says.
Schumann also created the Douglas D. Schumann P.E. Scholarship and the Douglas D. Schumann Electromechanical Engineering Scholarship. The former is based on financial need and awarded to those who demonstrate positive, goal-oriented attitudes, while the latter looks for “resourcefulness in problem-solving and a can-do attitude.”
Now a trustee emeritus and resident of Florida, Schumann remains an avid fitness enthusiast. Boston Marathon spectators may have noticed the gold Wentworth singlet he wore while finishing several races in recent years.
“My philanthropic work is rooted in the love and support I received from my parents,” Schumann says, “and a desire to help young people who may or may not have been as fortunate as I was.”
—Greg Abazorius
