Legacy Society members gather on campus for an appreciation event with President David E. Daniel. Back row, from left: President Daniel, Pagett Gosslee MAT'79, John Van Ness, Randy Black BS'06, Tom McIntire, Bob Sypult, Dr. Larry Sall, Susan Macaulay BA'93, MPA'94 and John Macaulay. Front row, from left: Nancy Van Ness, Joyce Johnson BGS'83, Lynn B. McIntire BA'79, Susan G. Fleming PhD'87 and Karen Wolf.

A loyal, generous group of alumni and friends are leaving their mark on UT Dallas while also moving the University forward in research and scholarship.

Since the Realize the Vision campaign began, approximately 30 new donors have made planned gifts to the University through bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts or life insurance. They have joined a special group of planned giving donors in the Legacy Society.

Dr. John Van Ness, past chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, and his wife, Nancy, a retired senior lecturer in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, made a legacy gift that celebrates their daughter and makes a lasting impact on the University.

Shortly after the couple’s daughter, Julia, died of Ewing’s sarcoma in 1988, a scholarship was established in her honor. Through their estate plans, the Van Nesses will add to that scholarship.

“We want to remember Julia in a significant way and chose her scholarship at UT Dallas to be a beneficiary,” explained John Van Ness, who retired in 2002 and now works as a professional artist in Richardson.

Making legacy giving easy and meaningful is the charge of the Gift Planning Advisory Council, which has several alumni members who lend their expertise in estate and financial planning, and accounting.

“To me, it is the responsibility and mission of those who’ve reaped the benefit of a first-class education to ensure that higher learning remains accessible and affordable to future generations of motivated students so that they, too, can achieve their dreams of security and success,” said Jerri Hammer MS’97, an attorney and CPA who sits on the council and is a partner at Travis Wolf LLP.

To learn more, visit utdallas.edu/joinlegacy or contact  Anna LeBlanc at 972-883-6023.