Leaving a Legacy

Turning generosity into opportunities since 1895. The spirit of giving has been a part of our history since the beginning — the very land our Lamoni campus sits on was donated by early members of the sponsoring church. To this day, the gifts we receive continue to provide the foundation for Graceland’s greatest needs and allow us to support our students through scholarships, facility upgrades, and other services that help the institution thrive.

The HERITAGE CLUB is a group of alumni and friends who provide for the University in their estate planning. By doing so, Heritage Club members extend their influence for generations to come — supporting the University in its mission to provide a quality education for promising and deserving students. Living members have their names placed on a permanent Heritage Club Roll of Honor displayed on the first floor of the Higdon Administration Building. Graceland is highlighting a few of these members in Horizons.

Kathleen A. McGuire
Kathleen realized the substantial impact that a Graceland education can have even though she did not attend the University herself. Kathleen retired as a professor in the counseling department at Santa Barbara City College, and when asked why she chose to support the Heritage Club, she stated, “My mother rode 10 miles on horseback to get to school and was only allowed to go after the crops were harvested. She drove me to school in her car, and she made sure I had a car to drive to college. Very early on in my life, she ingrained in me the knowledge that education is life-changing. I have always desired to provide opportunities to those who didn’t have the same opportunities I did. Graceland’s positive moral compass makes the institution one I can support now and long after my travels on this earth are done.”

Chuck & Joan Madden
Chuck ’65 attributes many of his successful ventures to his Graceland education. Chuck willingly shared why he and his wife, Joan, support Graceland through the Heritage Club, expressing, “Coming from a large high school, I was somewhat hesitant about attending a smaller school like Graceland. The things I learned at Graceland have helped me in all aspects of life. I worked for corporations like General Motors and PaineWebber, where my Graceland education was never questioned. I spent the last 28 years of my career as a marketing executive of a regional engineering and architecture firm. With time, my assets grew, and I established a living trust. Joan and I have always had a warm place in our hearts for Graceland, which made choosing to use the Heritage Club as a method of asset distribution an easy one.”

Howard & Sue Sakima
Howard ’69 and Sue ’72 met at Graceland in 1968, and they were later married in Lamoni in 1970. Howard became a pediatrician, and Sue a college business professor. When asked why they wanted to join the Heritage Club, they shared, “Graceland University became ohana (family) for us. This occurred more than 50 years ago when we met on the Lamoni campus. Although our biological ohana did not start until several years later, Graceland University has been a very important part of our lives. It has given us a solid foundation for further studies and lifelong relationships. As parents and grandparents, we strive to support our ohana as much as possible. Since Graceland has been part of our ohana for over 50 years, we feel honored to be able to include the Heritage Club in our financial legacy along with our children and grandchildren.”