Alumnus Dale Comstock creates lasting impact in mathematics and beyond

Ellensburg may be a small dot on a map, but for Dale Comstock, Central Washington University was the beginning of a globe-crossing life of learning, teaching, leading, and giving back.

Now in his 90s, the CWU Distinguished Alumni, emeritus professor, and former college dean reflects on the significance of the university — not only for him, but for countless others discovering their own life’s purpose.

Staying true to this vision, Comstock intends to make a $1 million blended cash and estate gift to establish the Dale and Mary Jo Comstock Endowed Professorship in Mathematics. This permanently endowed professorship in the Department of Mathematics will be the first of its kind at CWU, supporting faculty salaries, research expenses, lab equipment, and travel related to attending and presenting at conferences.  

When asked what inspired the gift, Comstock shared, “Central has been good to me over the years, and I want to be good to it in return.”

Comstock’s life has been intertwined with CWU since he first enrolled in 1951. He and his wife Mary Jo first met while they were undergraduate students living on campus in Munson and Kamola Hall, respectively. Comstock fondly recalls some of his favorite memories while at Central, such as when he and his future wife would joyride through town in his beloved 1940 green Chevy convertible. 

Although he started with humble roots, Comstock’s life story is anything but ordinary. In 1957, while working as a teacher at Kennewick High School and Columbia Basin College, he and Mary Jo got married. In the late summer of that year, just a few months after they were married, he was drafted by the Army to serve in West Germany.

Missing her husband, Mary Jo soon traveled to Europe, where the couple lived together for nearly two years. After Comstock’s service, the couple moved to Corvallis, Oregon, where he would pursue his graduate degree in mathematics at Oregon State University from 1960-64.

Life was carefree for the next three years; however, just after having their second child, the couple faced an unexpected challenge when Mary Jo fell gravely ill. While she convalesced in the hospital for several months, Comstock juggled a full-time teaching job while still taking care of their two young boys at home. Needing extra support from family, Comstock accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Mathematics and director of the first computer center at Central Washington State College (now CWU) in 1964, allowing them to move back to Ellensburg.

During his time as a CWU professor in the mid-’60s, the university experienced significant growth and change under the leadership of President James Brooks. Central’s enrollment more than tripled from the 1950s to the 1960s, and many new faculty members were hired to meet the needs of the growing institution. That steady growth came to a halt in the early ’70s as the Vietnam War incited student protests all over campus.

During this tumultuous time, Comstock was promoted to the role of Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The position placed him as the director of a multi-million-dollar operating budget overseeing graduate programs, assistantships, contracts and grants, as well as partner institutes and centers.

After tensions cooled on campus, Comstock had an opportunity in the spring of 1975 to travel to Iran through an UNESCO exchange program that brought Iranian college instructors and counselors to CWU to modernize their science and mathematics curriculum. Along with this important work, he was later involved in a number of federal government initiatives that took him and his family to temporarily live in Washington, D.C. Some of the positions he held included Senior Program Manager for the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs of the Department of Energy, and as the Dean in Residence for the Council of Graduate Schools in D.C.

In 1988, Comstock went on a US State Department research trip to Russia, visiting Moscow, Kiev, Tbilisi, and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) to explore his interest in the Russian economy. He later returned to St. Petersburg in 1992 as an exchange university professor. Outside of his federal and international development work, Comstock continued to serve as Dean of the CWU Graduate School until 1990, when he returned to his duties as professor of mathematics. He finally retired from CWU in 1996 after serving the university for 32 years.

Besides sharing his expertise both on campus and across the world, Comstock also provided generous financial support to Central students for nearly 50 years. While in his position as Dean, he began granting his annual thesis award to outstanding students in graduate school in 1979 — a scholarship he continues to provide to this day.

More recently, Comstock established an endowed scholarship for students majoring in mathematics in 2008. His eyes light up with pride when reflecting on all the students that he’s helped over the decades who have gone on to accomplish incredible things around the world.  

Asked why he decided to include a gift, Comstock explained, “The university provided a great, successful life for me and my family, and a tremendously interesting and successful career.”

“I have been thankful to CWU for an excellent education as an undergraduate and for over 32 years as a professor of mathematics and Dean of Graduate School and Research,” he added. “Surely, there are many other former students and employees from CWU that have also had very successful years related to their experience at CWU.”

If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a gift to Central, please reach out to our University Advancement team at 509-963-2851 or plannedgiving@cwu.edu.