Passion for Giving

Love for UK Drives Generosity Now and in the Future

A planned gift made the most sense for Myra Leigh Tobin '62. When she retired at the age of 58 from Marsh & McLennan commercial insurance brokerage, she had plans. She wanted to travel and enjoy her golden years, and a gift that paid her back, also known as a charitable gift annuity, enabled her to balance those interests with her love of the University of Kentucky.

"I was looking for a giving vehicle that would provide me a stream of income for the rest of my life so that I could have the type of retirement I envisioned," Tobin said. "I also wanted to make a commitment early in my life, so that I could witness the recipients of my scholarship and follow their careers."

Over the last 30 years, Tobin has made several commitments to her alma mater. She established an endowed scholarship in the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics to honor her mother, a widowed homemaker, whose business acumen supported their family and inspired Tobin. She also memorialized her nephew, Andy Schrecker, a star tennis player inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame.

Her charitable remainder unitrust, which operates much like a charitable gift annuity, will support the chapel in Albert B. Chandler Hospital, a token of gratitude to the health care professionals who cared for her when she had cancer. And, her recently established charitable gift annuity will create a future scholarship in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and provide support for the Arboretum.

"I loved UK as a student, and I love it even more as an alumna," Tobin said. "UK was the passport to my future, and it provided me a wonderful launch pad for my life and my career. I made these contributions as a form of gratitude.

"It also was an investment in the Commonwealth," said Tobin, a native of Breckinridge County. "It is critical to have an educated workforce to attract industry. Higher education trains those workers and creates good citizens who will be our future leaders."

Actively involved on campus, Tobin served on the UK Board of Trustees, the search committee that selected President Eli Capilouto and the university's first capital campaign. She was a founding member of the Women & Philanthropy Network, a group of women committed to advancing the university. The group has funded more than $2.2 million in grants for scholarships, programs, research and initiatives.

Currently, she is a member of the UK Board of Trustees Investment Committee, as well as the committee directing Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign, where she encourages other alumni and individuals to give back to UK.

"I have seen the impact giving has made on campus and in individuals' lives and careers," Tobin said. "I encourage everyone to consider making a gift to UK and to learn more about your planned giving options."