A longtime member of the Sheldon Legacy Society, James recently took on leadership of this group of loyal Oswego supporters who have remembered the college in their estate plans.
Jack James ’62, right, met the latest recipient of his endowed scholarship, Joe Murdoch ’12, left, at King Alumni Hall last fall. Meeting the winners of his scholarship, who balance work and family life along with their studies, is “humbling,” James says.
“A legacy gift is the ultimate commitment a donor can make to Oswego. It means that you are making the college a part of your family,” James explains.
Calling a planned gift both “symbolic and meaningful,” he added that a legacy gift makes a lasting impact on the college and its students. “When you invest in education, you are investing in the future,” he says.
As chair, James will lead a core group of Sheldon Legacy Society members committed to growing membership in the society and spreading the message of the value of planned gifts.
James explains that a legacy gift could give a donor the ability to support Oswego to an extent that might not be possible during his or her lifetime.
By giving the proceeds of an insurance policy or making the college the beneficiary of a retirement plan, donors can make a substantial gift without impacting their family’s present income.
James leads by example, bequeathing 70 percent of his own estate to Oswego. He also established a charitable gift annuity in honor of his class’s 50th reunion.
His gifts fund The Jack C. James ’62 Endowment Fund, which supports a scholarship fund for non-traditional students, an equipment and facilities improvement fund and a School of Education student program fund.
For more information about the Sheldon Legacy Society or making a planned gift to Oswego, contact the Office of Development at 215 Sheldon Hall, email sheldonlegacy@oswego.edu or call 315-312-3003.
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Sheldon Legacy Society
Visit alumni.oswego.edu/plannedgiving for more information.
