An Easy Way to Give Back

When you pass 80 years and look back, realizing the impact of Michigan on your life, it's difficult not to be a big Michigan supporter. Ann's (BS Des '57) and my lives were made at Michigan and continue to be enhanced by Michigan friends and connections, our relationship with the College of Engineering, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the Medical School, and the Solar Car Team! While my full Michigan story runs too deep to share fully through this forum, what I can say is that Michigan has been a constant in my life—as steady as my closest family.

The experiences I have had with Michigan run deep. Dean Munson once asked me, "Chuck, what area of Michigan haven't you touched?" Well, there are a few, but the areas Ann and I have touched have impacted us far more than we have impacted them. The Solar Car team will tell you that I am their biggest supporter and cheerleader. What they may not tell you is that they have made my retirement! 25 consecutive years of racing beside them, cheering and raising spirits; the relationships I have made over the years with these "kids" are ongoing. The annual Furlong recital, showcasing our scholarship student in Music, Theatre & Dance silences the audience and knowing that the Furlong Chair, in OB/GYN, impacts global women's and children's health, gives us a warm sense of pride.

My fellow '57E classmates are a special group of friends and the scholarship we jointly created impacts new generations of Engineers. Does it get any better than that?

Yes, it does. In 1983, I created an estate plan and made Michigan an equal with my kids. With three children, my estate is divided into quarters. One quarter to each of them, one quarter to Michigan. Several years later I also made a gift to establish a charitable remainder trust that is held and invested at the university. Each year, Ann and I receive an annual distribution from the trust. The principal of the trust continues to grow and at the end of our lives the remainder will benefit the College of Engineering.

The combination of my estate gift and my charitable remainder trust should enable us to have an even greater impact on Michigan. When these gifts eventually come to the university's College of Engineering they will be used to increase the emphasis on manufacturing within the Mechanical Engineering Department and to provide a bridge between classroom learning and the practical applications in industry. What can you do individually and collectively to support Michigan? How can you help ensure that future generations can have the opportunities you have had? What can you do to enhance one of the greatest public universities in the world? Make MICHIGAN an EQUAL with your kids. Provide a gift through your estate plan, establish a life income plan, or name the university as a beneficiary in your retirement plan or life insurance policy. Inform the university of your plan and your gift will count towards the Victors for Michigan campaign, which continues our heritage of leadership as a university. Leadership that began a long time ago. Your generous support of bright young students may just change the course of their lives.