MIZZOU NEWS

Small-Town Business Owners Leave $8 Million; MU Creates Large Scholarship Fund

By Christian Basi

An $8 million gift to the University of Missouri-Columbia includes the largest unrestricted gift in the University’s history.

The bequest came from the estate of MU alumna Margaret Waters Jordan and her husband Gerald Jordan, former owners of Waters Furniture in Vandalia, Mo. The gift was made in the Jordans’ name and in memory and honor of William B. Waters, Margaret Waters’ brother who was also an owner of Waters Furniture.

Of the total, $5.3 million was unrestricted and will be placed in the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence, with half of that already set aside for scholarships. Students from Audrain County will be given preference when the scholarships are awarded. Any scholarship funds not used by Audrain County students will be available to other MU students. The remaining $2.7 million will help MU Health Care pay for indigent care costs. Annually, the hospital spends $40 million providing care to patients who cannot afford to pay.

“I am touched that she chose to give back to her alma mater. This generous gift illustrates the impact MU made on her life,” MU Chancellor Brady Deaton said. “Through her gift to MU, she shares the fruit of her family’s successful furniture business, and leaves a legacy that impacts young people from her home county, and in the end, the world.”

Jordan was deeply rooted in her community in Vandalia. She was born there in 1909 and graduated from Vandalia High School. Her father, William S. Waters, founded Waters Furniture Store in 1892. It soon became a well-known and respected business, and people still drive long distances to shop there.

Jordan’s older brother, William B. Waters, began running the store in the 1940s. When World War II started, he went to the South Pacific. Jordan stepped in to manage the family business and stayed for more than 40 years. She and her brother took over as owners when their father died in 1952. Under their leadership, the store’s reputation and sales grew. There were no billboards or ads in newspapers. There wasn’t even a sign on the store. They simply used word of mouth from their customers to spread the word.

The Waters’ store didn’t even have a lock. While it was technically closed after 5 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays, people still came to view the furniture. Employees would often find a note from a customer who had taken some furniture and left a check. After William died in 1983, the store was sold to Mike and Mark Udelhoven.

Sheila Ennis, a friend of Jordan, said the Jordans lived modestly and gave anonymously to many organizations throughout their lifetimes. One such donation, which was kept anonymous at her request, was to the new children’s library at the Vandalia branch library in 2004. The library has a reading room named in her honor.

“She was a warm, caring, intelligent, generous lady who knew what was important in life,” Ennis said. “She knew the importance of education, and she had great respect for the University of Missouri and the impact it has on the students who are fortunate enough to attend this wonderful university. She realized that she could help many people with this gift and that it would have a lasting impact on many lives. We are so thankful for Margaret and Gerald Jordan and are so proud of the way they chose to share their legacy. I’m delighted to be part of any occasion to honor my friend, Margaret Waters Jordan, who I admired and respected.”

Jordan attended the University of Wisconsin, Christian College and MU, where she was a member of the sorority Pi Beta Phi. She graduated from MU in 1931 with a bachelor’s degree in education and married Gerald J. Jordan in 1936. Mr. Jordan also came from a prominent area family. Both Gerald and his father worked for the Harbison-Walker Brick Refractory — one of the largest employers in Audrain County. Gerald and Margaret Jordan were married for 61 years until his death in 1997. Margaret Jordan died Nov. 7, 2004, at her home in Vandalia.

The Jordans’ generosity did not end with MU. They also left $4 million to the Audrain Medical Center. The donation was the largest gift the Audrain Medical Center has ever received. In addition, $500,000 went to the city of Vandalia, $100,000 to Van-Far R-1 Schools and $50,000 to the Vandalia Christian Church. Other recipients of their bequest include the Salvation Army and other community organizations.

The historic gift brings the total of the For All We Call Mizzou campaign to $645 million. The goal of the campaign, which began in 2000, is to raise $1 billion for Mizzou by the end of 2008. The For All We Call Mizzou campaign emphasizes giving for student scholarships, faculty, programs and facilities.

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Last Update: November 15, 2007