In 1978, Earl F. Strohbehn, professor of education at San Jose State University, established a trust fund through the ECT Foundation to help support a deserving graduate student's attendance at the Lake Okoboji [Iowa] Leadership conference. His mentor and friend, Lee Cochran inspired the Okoboji conference to develop leaders in the field of educational communications and technology. Earl Strohbehn began his profession in the audiovisual field in 1945 as Director of Audiovisual Services in the Cedar Falls, Iowa Public Schools. It was his wish that in the event the Lake Okoboji conference was discontinued, his donation would be used to support graduate students in the field in the manner deemed best; hence, the current internship funding at AECT.s annual convention.