Meet Our Donors

Couple's Support Strengthens University in Many Ways
Mark and Nancy C. Hillis have long recognized their motivations for philanthropically supporting Florida State University. "The most important motivation is the relationships we have built over the years with fellow alumni, University leaders and administrators, faculty and students." More

For Sale? Think Twice
A large number of alumni and friends of Florida State University are interested in contributing to the University's future, but some potential donors may overlook one of their most valuable assets—their property. More

Building the Future of Engineering
Colleen Stewart has always had strong ties to engineering. Her family has an extensive number of engineering degrees, although they're not all from Florida State University. She and her late husband, Donald, started down the path toward ultimately making a lasting impact on the lives of students enrolled in the Florida State University College of Engineering. More

How FSU Changed My Life and Career
When L. Wade Humphreys began thinking about estate planning, it did not take him long to decide that "Giving Back" for him meant to the academic institutions that had meant so much to the course of his life. More

Passing on Their Values: How a Couple Helped FSU and Received Security in Return
Howard M. '71, '72, and Cheryl S. Beckert '72, have always appreciated how their Florida State University degrees helped their careers. "The education and relationships we were blessed with at Florida State University have been very instrumental to the successes we have had in life," Cheryl says. More

The Last Gift to Her Husband: A Commitment to FSU
For Elaine Alexander, a non-alumna of Florida State who lived 3,000 miles from Tallahassee in the Seattle area, the opportunity to connect with FSU was seldom. But all of that changed when her husband, Robert C. Alexander '68, '72, lost his battle with cancer in late 2009. Since then, an unlikely journey has taken place and new connections. More

Alumna Gives Back to University That Provided So Much to Her
As a young girl, Cassandra D. Jenkins spent hours reading mystery novels and watching crime shows, where she imagined investigating crimes and solving cases alongside the heroes and heroines of her stories.

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Retired Army Nurse Sees Gift Annuity As a Great Way to Give Back
Had her parents chosen to move to Florida one year later than they did, retired Army Col. Faith Sterling would never have come to Florida State University.

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Ensuring Quality Performance in Baroque Music for Future Generations
In October 2009, while attending the inaugural Ringling International Arts Festival in Sarasota, Fla., Albert H. Cohen happened upon a string quartet playing Beethoven—a group of undergraduates from the Florida State University College of Music. More

Giving Graduate Students a Boost
Though Dr. James "Jim" O'Brien formally retired in 2005, most days you'll still find him at the Center of Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) on the southwest campus of Florida State University. "I flunked retirement," he says with a jocular smile. Jim has been a fixture at Florida State for more than 40 years. He was dubbed... More

Providing for Increased Excellence in Education
Cynthia Schumacher and longtime friend Nina Shuman spent more than 30 years of their lives as teachers. Though both retired in 1985, they have continued their work to provide quality public education through their philanthropic activities. Most recently, Cynthia established a charitable gift annuity (CGA) that will ultimately support the College of Teacher Education at Florida... More

Exceptional Estate Planning Creates Extraordinary Opportunity
Recently, the Frank and Yolande Fowler Chair in Biological Sciences was established to fulfill the legacy of two Florida State University friends whose passion for biology fueled their desire to fund biological research and lure stellar students to the university. Yolande Jaquelin Fowler was born in a small French village near the end of World War I. After World War II, she married an American, Frank... More

Community Service and Charity
The Florida State University freshman class of 2008–09 possesses many exceptional qualities, such as an average SAT score of 1265 and ACT score of 28. One quality among these students that might go unnoticed, however, is a penchant for community service prior to arriving at FSU. This attribute is readily acknowledged at the Center for Leadership... More

A Conversation With Dr. Donald Smith, B.A. '56, M.A. '69, Ph.D. '72
In January 1999, Dr. Donald Smith established two charitable remainder unitrusts with the FSU Foundation. He continues to add to these trusts whenever he is able. In addition to receiving income from these trusts for life, Dr. Smith is entitled to a charitable income tax deduction every time he makes a cash addition to one of these trusts. More

An Incredible Commitment to Medicine
The commitment, leadership and influence of Dr. Laurie L. Dozier Jr. is clearly felt throughout northwest Florida, specifically by the students and faculty of the FSU College of Medicine and the patients and medical staff of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH). TMH has benefited from 20 years of Dr. Dozier’s knowledge... More

Invested in Art
The development and notoriety of the FSU/John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art are largely attributed to the generous support of its devoted constituents. Two such donors, Robert “Bob” Blalock, a Bradenton attorney and former trustee of the Museum, and his wife, Marlene (an FSU attendee), have long been passionate about the importance of the Museum and played a key role in making Ringling... More

A Lifelong Interest in Medicine
Having served on the boards of the FSU Foundation, FSU Boosters and the FSU Alumni Association, Mina Jo Powell is very familiar with the benefits and personal rewards of giving back to the University. Her well-established relationship with FSU dates back to 1946, when she enrolled as a freshman in the University’s first coeducational class. After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree... More

Harpers' Gifts Demonstrate Their Passion for Education
In January 2006, Florida State University lost one of its most distinguished scholars and benefactors. During his illustrious career in academia, George Mills Harper was an author and editor of 12 books primarily concerning the Irish poet William Butler Yeats. George finished his extensive teaching career in 1982 at Florida State University after serving in... More

Estate Gift Creates Special Opportunities for Deserving FSU Students
On Oct. 6, 2005, the Ocala-based family of the late Clifford "Cliff" and Jeanette Davenport presented a $1 million check to Florida State University. The intimate ceremony honoring the Davenports' gift included President T.K. Wetherell; former Ocala Mayor Jim Kirk; Alumni Association President Barry Adams; children Cliff Davenport Jr., Gene Davenport and Sally Anne Hugli; and grandson the Reverend Rick Hugli. More

A Passion for the Band
In remembrance of how they met, Mike and Judy designated the proceeds of their charitable remainder trust for two student members of the FSU Marching Chiefs: one majoring in music and the other majoring in business. Chiefs is the largest collegiate marching band in the world, composed of students from almost every... More