Estate Gifts Enrich JBU: Legacy Donations Open Doors for Future Generations
By William Newton
January 12, 2024
Anyone familiar with the grassy quad in the center of the JBU campus has seen the boulders sitting between J. Alvin Brown Hall and Windgate Visual Arts East and may have wondered how they got there.
These boulders and the concrete table behind the Cathedral of the Ozarks were just a few donations included in the estate gift of Joe Zimmerman, Ph.D., former music professor.
Zimmerman earned his undergraduate degree from JBU, and after receiving a Master of Music from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, a doctoral degree from Indiana University and a discharge from the U.S. Army, he returned to JBU as a music professor in 1956 until retiring in 1996. With no familial heirs, Zimmerman named JBU to inherit his entire estate, a bequest realized when he died in 2018.
Zimmerman also gifted JBU the Joe M. Zimmerman Memorial Endowed Piano Scholarship, totaling $106,828; the Claude R. & Blanche A. Zimmerman Memorial Endowed Scholarship, totaling $76,477; a sculpture in the art department; an instrument for the music program, tools for the power plant, a suit for the theatre department and a collection of books for the library.
“Over the many years of my association with JBU, first as a student, then a teacher ..., and now as a retiree, I have received so much,” Zimmerman said in an interview with the Brown Bulletin in 2015. “I wanted to give something back.”
Estate planning is an important process that everyone should complete no matter the size of their estate, as a formal plan ensures that all of one’s property, money and belongings are divided and cared for after one’s passing. Not only does a plan designate where the executor should disperse items, but it also eases the burden for those left behind. Many JBU alums and friends of the university have gifted a portion of their estate for scholarships, building projects or other projects that benefit students.
From 1966 to 1970, Paul Wagner attended JBU as a student-athlete on the swim team. On the way to a tournament, Wagner and his team visited his mother, Ruth Wagner Beal, for dinner. She was impressed with the quality and character of her son’s teammates and the students she met while visiting campus. After battling cancer, Paul Wagner passed away in 2007, and his mother created the Paul Wagner Memorial Endowed Scholarship. She then made a new will for her estate, and when she passed away in 2020, JBU was the sole beneficiary.
“She gave faithfully to the university for many, many years, and she left her estate here,” said Jim Krall, vice president for university advancement. “She left over $3 million to JBU, a wonderful gift. It has created many scholarships for students each year.”
With the funds provided in her estate, the Paul Wagner Memorial Endowed Scholarship gained an additional $99,942, and the university created the Ruth Wagner Beal Endowed Scholarship with $2,527,359.
Sometimes, generous estate gifts come from more remote connections.
For Ida Jean Bryant and her siblings, Jack, Fae and Olin, their only connection to JBU was the radio ministry of John E. Brown Sr., which they listened to on their farm in Highfill, Arkansas. The Bryant siblings established the Bryant Family Endowed Scholarship when planning their estate. Ida was the last sibling to pass, and the final estate gift in 2010 brought the fund to $3,515,647, which aids local students in financial need. Additionally, the Bryant estate provided funds for building and renovation projects across campus.
Similarly, Dorothy Jelley only knew of JBU from the founder’s radio ministry. Born in England, Jelley served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during World War II. After some time in Canada after the war, Jelley immigrated to the U.S. and became a citizen. A bookkeeper by trade, she was always passionate about missions and Bible study. Jelley left her estate of more than $430,000 to JBU to create an endowed scholarship for students with leadership potential.
Even smaller estate gifts leave a lasting impact at JBU.
James and Margaret Allhands were longtime friends of the university and passionate about education. When James died in 1978, he left a $25,000 bequest to JBU, which his wife chose to use for an endowed scholarship. That relatively modest investment 45 years ago yields $4,970 in annual scholarships today and impacts several students yearly.
Estate gifts are pivotal in allowing JBU to continue to thrive as a private, Christ-centered university and serve the needs of its students. Creating an estate gift has been simplified thanks to JBU’s partnership with PhilanthroCorp. This free, no-obligation planning service can help alumni and friends make sure their goals and wishes are accomplished. You can learn more about this service at jbu.edu/estate-planning.
“Many people don’t consider creating an estate plan until they retire or are older. There are reasons to have a will earlier in your life, like when you get married or have children,” said Steve Onnen ’82, director of development. “You don’t have to have a lot of money to need a plan, so it should be considered sooner rather than later.”
Since their partnership with Philanthrocorp in 2014, JBU has received 60 gifts from estates totaling $11,592,486
