Penn State alumnus and former Daily Collegian reporter Damon Chappie, 40, died last Friday from heart complications in a Washington, D.C., hospice.

In Chappie's memory, Roll Call, a political newspaper on Capitol Hill, is establishing a $25,000 scholarship for excellence in investigative journalism for Collegian reporters.

"It was ultimately Damon's decision to set up a scholarship fund at the Collegian," his father, Don Chappie, said. "Working there was his inspiration."

Chappie's career in journalism began at the Collegian in the late 1980s. During his college-reporting career, he uncovered the existence of secret societies at Penn State, including Lion's Paw and Skull and Bones.

"He was morally offended that student leaders, especially the editor in chief of The Daily Collegian, would join these secret societies," fellow Collegian reporter Jeanette Krebs said. "He always challenged us to think about ethics. He was the moral compass of the newsroom."

Before his death, Chappie wrote that his experiences while covering some of Penn State's secret societies were a few of his favorite articles, even after reporting for 17 years in Washington, D.C.

"As a reporter covering ambitious lawmakers and politicians, I remain wary of the motives and actions of every and all government officials, thanks to my valuable experience reporting this one particular story that came along early in my journalistic career," he said.

Chappie also wrote about Penn State alumnus Clair George, a central figure in the CIA's Iran-Contra scandal. Don Chappie said his son's friends and fellow reporters were mystified that George agreed to an interview.

Chappie continued in journalism after graduation, first working at Pennsylvania community papers, such as the Lancaster Intelligencer, before going to work in the nation's capital.

He became the chief congressional reporter for the Bureau of National Affairs, which is a business news publisher.

In 1995, Chappie began to work at Roll Call, where he was eventually promoted to a senior writer and investigations editor, and helped to spur the investigations that led to the removal of then-Reps. Bud Shuster, R-Pa., and Jim Traficant, D-Ohio.

"You never worried about Damon betraying a trust," John Bresnahan, associate editor of Roll Call, said. "Everyone trusted him. Everyone called him and everyone was fiercely loyal to him."

Born with the blood-clotting disorder hemophilia, Chappie never allowed the pain to affect his attitude, acceptance of others and his high work ethic, Don Chappie said.

As a teenager, Chappie received a blood transfusion that eventually led to HIV. He also developed blindness from health complications in 1997.

Despite these health problems, Chappie spent his energies preserving the morality left in politics. He continued his work at Roll Call assisted by technology that scanned and read aloud documents at a fast pace. "It was incredible how many people on [Capitol] Hill didn't know he was blind," Terry Mutchler, fellow Collegian staff member, said. "Especially since sight is as important as a pen for a reporter."