For Peter ’63 and Susan (Teschner) Mellis, Syracuse University has always held a quiet but enduring place in their lives. Peter earned his English degree at the College of Arts and Sciences and built a decades-long management career in publishing. Susan studied business at Syracuse for two years, finishing her degree later in life, and established a career as an interior designer. The couple met and married in 1964, raised two children and eventually settled in Connecticut. Over the years, Syracuse was a fond chapter in their past—but not necessarily at the center of their family’s story.

That changed after the heartbreaking loss of their grandson, Max Brown.

Max, described by his grandfather as a gentle soul who loved literature and the Grateful Dead, chose to postpone college—instead moving to Colorado after high school, where he worked as a Starbucks barista and pursued his passion for climbing mountains. But at just 21 years old, Max was diagnosed with an aggressive, inoperable brain tumor after developing an unrelenting case of hiccups. He died only 15 months later at age 23.

Finding Meaning in Loss

During Max’s illness and treatment, he often stayed with Peter and Susan in their Connecticut home, where he became even closer to his grandparents. They recall their home filling with teddy bears sent by Max’s friends, a popular symbol of the band he loved. Not long after his passing, the couple began to consider ways to honor him. The idea of creating a scholarship at Syracuse emerged during a visit from a University advancement officer who had met Max during an earlier trip.

Peter and Susan had already been talking about how to memorialize their grandson—not as a grand public gesture, but as something meaningful to their family. Their discussions soon took shape around Syracuse and Peter’s deep respect for the value of a liberal arts education, particularly in English.

“I’ve always been disturbed by the denigration of liberal arts,” Peter says. “In all my years in the corporate world, I was constantly amazed by how many people, even senior executives, couldn’t put two coherent sentences together. At the same time, I wanted a way to extend Max’s memory, a way for him to leave something beyond just our memories of him.”

With that conviction, the couple established the Max Brown Scholarship, an endowed, need-based award specifically for English majors in their junior or senior years at the College of Arts and Sciences. The restriction to upper-level students was intentional: Peter wanted to be sure that recipients were committed to the field of English, not students who might change majors after their first or second year.

A Growing Legacy

Peter and Susan first endowed the scholarship three years ago with a gift of $250,000, pledging that another $250,000 would follow, if not in their lifetime, in a bequest. Then they learned of The Syracuse Promise, a series of commitments including a new $50 million fundraising initiative to significantly expand scholarship support for students. Thanks to a transformative 50% matching program, the couple agreed to make their second $250,000 gift now—boosting the value of their endowed fund to $625,000 and ensuring the scholarship’s long-term growth and permanence.

“Technically, it should go on forever,” Peter says. “That’s what matters to us—that Max leaves a lasting footprint.”

For Peter and Susan, education has always been central to their family. They are proud to have supported their son and daughter through college and graduate degrees, and to have contributed to their grandchildren’s education, two of whom are in college now.

In creating the scholarship that honors Max, they want to help provide opportunities to students with financial need while demonstrating that meaningful giving is not reserved for the ultra-wealthy.

“Endowed scholarships represent the very best of what we aspire to achieve in the liberal arts. They remove financial barriers for dedicated students while honoring the profound connections that bind our community together across generations,” says Behzad Mortazavi, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "The Max Brown Scholarship not only supports exceptional English majors in pursuing their academic passions, but it also ensures that Max's love of literature continues to inspire and nurture future scholars. This is exactly the kind of meaningful legacy that strengthens our College's mission to cultivate engaged, thoughtful citizens."

As Peter says, “Everyone leaves footprints in different ways. For us, this scholarship means that Max will leave his at Syracuse, helping students who love English as much as I did. It’s a way of keeping him with us.”

For more information about The Syracuse Promise, contact Jen Stone G’02.

About The Syracuse Promise 

The Syracuse Promise is a series of commitments designed to foster success, innovation, creativity, research and discovery for every Syracuse student. This promise continues with our graduates, building a strong Orange community where alumni thrive, better our world and support future generations. Through a 3-year, $150 million combined fundraising effort focused on four strategic initiatives, The Syracuse Promise commitments will ensure student success and affordability, build competitive excellence in athletics, drive research and discovery in STEM-related fields, and foster creativity and innovation through entrepreneurial leadership.