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Located near Jefferson’s original tombstone on Francis
Quadrangle, MU’s Thomas Jefferson statue, created
by Colorado sculptor George Lundeen, was a gift from the
trustees of the Jefferson Club. Photo courtesy of MU
Publications and Alumni Communication
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Jefferson
Club Encompasses Mizzou Spirit, Support
For 35 years, members of the Jefferson
Club have contributed generous private support for public education.
By Sona Pai
Thomas Jefferson’s ideal of an “academical
village” in which students would receive a broad education
in the arts and sciences is the model for today’s American
university. As the first public university in Jefferson’s
Louisiana Purchase territory, the University of Missouri reflects
many of Jefferson’s ideals as does the spirit of the Jefferson
Club, whose members are MU’s most generous supporters.
When the organization was established in 1970, its goal was to
reach 250 members. Today, membership stands at 5,000, and in its
35 years, Jefferson Club members have contributed more than $460
million to the University.
“To me, the name of the club is something
that ties us to our roots,” says Darlene Johnson, national
chair of the Jefferson Club Trustees. “It symbolizes the
bond we have with our past in the larger sense and also the commitment
we have to carrying Jefferson’s legacy in higher education
on into the future.”
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt was the keynote speaker at an October
College of Business Davenport Society dinner. He said the
generous contributions of Davenport members “help
Mizzou continue to be an institution of which all Missourians
can be proud” and that it is critical to the state’s
future that “our flagship university continues to
be a top-tier national institution.” Photo courtesy
of the College of Business
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Donors who give at least $1,000 to any area
of the University during a calendar year become Annual Members
of the club, and those who give at least $25,000 during their
lifetime become Sustaining Members. Other categories of membership
include Fellows, who have given at least $50,000; Distinguished
Fellows, who have given at least $100,000; Very Distinguished
Fellows, who have given at least $250,000; Diplomats, who have
given at least $500,000; and Ambassadors, who have given at least
$1 million. Members nominate a group of 30 trustees who represent
regions across the country.
In 2000, the trustees collectively gave the
University the gift of a bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson, which
sits on the east side of Francis Quadrangle. Most recently they
presented MU Chancellor Brady Deaton with the inaugural Jefferson
Medallion, which he and future MU chancellors will wear on formal
occasions.
“The purpose of the Jefferson Club is
to recognize those who have supported the University, keep them
involved in the life of the University and thank them for their
gifts,” says Susan Lowry, director of the Jefferson Club.
But Johnson, who has been a trustee of the club for six years,
says the group has come to mean much more.
“The club has evolved over the years,”
Johnson says. “We’re really a big group of friends.
People might be 35 or 75, they might come from entirely different
fields and live on opposite ends of the country, but they come
together in the Jefferson Club because they have something in
common: a commitment to make Mizzou a first-class University.”
Members meet at regional dinners throughout
the year and at an annual dinner held on campus in the spring.
The annual dinner features remarks from the chancellor and a presentation
by the annual Thomas Jefferson Distinguished Visiting Lecturer.
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton proudly wears the new Jefferson
Medallion, which recognizes the University’s historic
and philosophic ties to Thomas Jefferson. Photo courtesy
of MU Publications and Alumni Communication
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“We have a great time at the dinners,
and we learn a lot about what’s happening on campus, but
the best part comes at the end,” Johnson says. “It
sounds hokey, but when we sing the alma mater at the
end of each dinner, there are definitely some tears in the audience.
That’s when we remember what the Jefferson Club is really
about.”
MU has other donor recognition societies,
including the Chancellor’s
Society, which is a special category of membership within
the Jefferson Club for donors who present gifts to the Chancellor’s
Fund for Excellence. The Legacy
Society honors donors who have provided gifts to the University
through a variety of estate-planning methods, such as bequests
in a will or trust, charitable remainder trusts, pooled income
funds, or gifts of life insurance. In addition, the Library
Society recognizes private benefactors of the MU Libraries
and the Tiger
Scholarship Fund recognizes members for their support of Mizzou
Athletics. Most of MU’s colleges and schools have societies
that recognize donors for their generosity and support. These
include:
- John
W. Connaway Society, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Herbert
J. Davenport Society, College of Business
- Grace
Bibb Society, College of Education
- Law
Society, School of Law
- McAlester
Society, School of Medicine
- Monticello
Society, College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Mosaic
Society, College of Arts and Science
- Nightingale
Society, School of Nursing
- St.
Patrick Society, College of Engineering
- Social
Justice Society, School of Social Work
- Vanguard
Society, College of Human Environmental Sciences
- Walter
Williams Society, School of Journalism
For more information about the Jefferson Club
and Mizzou’s other donor recognition societies, please call
(573) 882-6516 or e-mail JeffersonClub@missouri.edu.
Adapted from an article that ran in the
For All We Call Mizzou campaign newsletter, summer 2005.
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