Roger Bast ’72 MS’74 has always believed that gratitude should be put into action. Years after he received a scholarship that helped shape his Lehigh experience, he and his wife, Fran, made the decision to give that same opportunity to someone else.
Lehigh University has been more than a place where Bast earned a degree. It is a family legacy, a launching pad for a fulfilling 33-year career at Air Products, and now, through a scholarship fund bolstered by his former employer’s matching gift program, a means to shape the lives of future Lehigh students.
What began as a desire to support Lehigh students grew into the Roger G. '72 and Fran Bast Family Endowed Scholarship Fund — and will change the lives of students for years to come.
Lehigh Runs in the Family
Bast grew up in northern New Jersey, but his roots in Lehigh extend generations back. His father, Ray Bast ’50, and brother Gary Bast ’76, both received a B.S. in electrical engineering; brother Steven Bast ’73, a B.S. in management; sister-in-law Deborah York Bast ’77, a B.A. in sociology, and uncle Wendall Bard ’49, a B.S. in engineering.
Lehigh was high on his list, and after he applied early decision, the university soon became central to his life both academically and socially.
Modeling the World Before AI
Bast’s major was in business and economics,, a rigorous academic track that blended mathematics, business, and computer modeling. “It was before the days of AI,” he says, describing his fascination with simulation and the ability to model real-world outcomes. He continued his Lehigh education with a master’s degree in management science.
That intensive training shaped his career at Air Products, an international industrial gases company based in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. Bast built predictive models for energy use, telecommunications, and the complex logistics of transporting industrial gases around the world.
Bast began as an intern at Air Products and was hired into the corporate development program. Over the next 33 years, he held multiple pivotal roles in the company, including director positions overseeing the management sciences group, worldwide IT infrastructure, worldwide gases IT organization, IT planning, IT international services, and a nine-month assignment on the Grace Commission under President Ronald Reagan.
During his distinguished tenure, Air Products grew from a relatively small enterprise to a global industrial gases leader operating in more than 30 countries. Bast retired in 2005.
"If You Can Give, Why Not Give Double?"
Philanthropy was woven into Air Products’ corporate identity, and Bast embraced its remarkably generous matching gift program. The company matches gifts for both active employees and retirees at 100% through the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
“If I give $1, they give $1 on my behalf. So if I give $1, Lehigh gets $2. It’s a no-brainer,” says Bast.
Matching gifts remain one of the least utilized philanthropic tools, something Bast finds surprising given their impact.
He encourages alumni to take a moment to check whether their employer participates.
“If you’re philanthropically inclined, what better way to stretch your dollars than to get a match from your employer? It’s free money,” he says.
Shaping a Student’s Future — and a Lehigh Experience
With Air Products’ matching contributions, the fund grew at twice the rate of Bast’s own giving, eventually exceeding the $100,000 threshold required to become a permanent endowed scholarship.
The Basts are grateful knowing future recipients will experience the fullness of Lehigh life — not only academics, but music, athletics, friendships, and personal growth — as he did. During his time on campus, Bast played in the Marching 97 and the concert band, ran the residence hall concession, competed in intramural sports, and found mentors who shaped his life long after graduation.
Bast hopes scholarship recipients will embrace that same balance.
“You can get so caught up in the academics that you miss everything else. Balance is essential, and Lehigh teaches you that,” he says.
A Connection That Endures
Although his visits to campus are infrequent, Bast still feels the strength of the Lehigh alumni network everywhere he goes.
“I’ll wear a Lehigh shirt, and inevitably someone will say, ‘Oh, you’re from Lehigh,’” he says. There is recognition, and with it, community.
“I really believe in what Lehigh has done and what they’ve built, so if in any small way we can help even one individual experience it, I think that would be wonderful.”
