Shirley Fowler

Like many Berea students, Shirley was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Hard work won her scholarships to Kalamazoo College, which enabled her to attend the University of Michigan and study statistical mathematics. Berea’s tradition of making education available to students of limited means resonated with Shirley. Soon, she wasn’t just supporting Berea financially. She was asking, “What can I do to help?”

“When you first meet Shirley, you quickly learn how big her heart is,” says Rod Bussey, former Vice President of Alumni Relations and Development, who asked Shirley to serve on the President’s Council and assist the Development Office with fund raising. As a volunteer for the College, Shirley accompanied Development staff on calls in Washington D.C., met with Berea students, and hosted luncheons for major donors. “People would ask why I was there,” Shirley remembers. “I felt I could offer them a different perspective, as someone who wasn’t employed by the College.”

But Shirley’s efforts didn’t stop with her volunteer work. In 1998, she and her late husband, Howland, wanted to endow a fund for Berea students. Because of Howland’s work as a scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Shirley’s love of mathematics, they created the Howland A. and Shirley B. Fowler Summer Science Research Fund. Since 2001, this fund has supported students and professors on summer research projects, an experience which is often a student’s first step in pursuing further studies in the sciences.

From her volunteer work to her gifts, Shirley’s dedication to Berea is steeped in family tradition. Her parents were early supporters of the College, and Howland was deeply loyal to Berea’s mission. Once her daughters Joanna and Amy completed their educations, Shirley encouraged them to give to Berea. And they do, supporting Berea to acknowledge the role education has played in their lives. Now the third generation to support the College, they share their mother’s satisfaction in making life better for others by making education available to all.

Kay Smith

As a ‘child of the depression,’ Kay felt deeply grateful to her aunt and uncle who helped to provide her college education. An educator, Kay married Larry Smith, a man who was as passionate about education as she was. In fact, they supported several causes together, and their support for Berea’s students became a joint endeavor.

When Larry died in 1997, Kay memorialized his life in a way he would have appreciated – with a scholarship for a Berea College student. She established the E. Lawrence and Kathleen M. Smith Scholarship, which has now supported four different students. Because she wanted to get to know the recipients, Kay makes a special effort to communicate personally with those students who benefit from her scholarship endowment. “I have had a marvelous relationship with the students,” she says. “I’ve enjoyed so much following and seeing their progress.”

Leah Devine, ’06, a Smith Scholarship recipient, says keeping in touch with Kay was a privilege. Although they were decades apart in age and miles apart in distance, they share an interest in teaching. Kay offered Leah, “hope and inspiration as I entered the Spanish classroom here in Kentucky,” Leah says.

“I am thankful for the opportunities we had to connect through our letters and cards over the years.”

Gene Parr and Joan Parr

Reflecting on her husband’s 35 year practice as a successful orthopedic surgeon and her role in managing their family of five, Joan says, “Berea offers a lifestyle that makes a difference. It motivates you to want to do something in life that’s bigger than you. It satisfies a yearning to be all God wants you to be.”
Gene entered medical school after three years at Berea and quickly realized an enormous financial burden as a medical student. Remembering how the College had assisted him in the past, Gene asked Berea’s then-President Francis Hutchins for a lifeline. Hutchins answered the call, discovering a foundation that helped Gene through four years of medical school. Gene says, “Whenever I asked for help, I received it. Berea College was my great facilitator, contributing so much to my subsequent years.”

Gene and Joan began supporting Berea in 1948 with a $1 gift, and over the years they have given generously to the College, both financially and through service. Recently the Parrs established the Francis and Louise Hutchins Scholarship Fund, which assists Bereans facing financial challenges of medical school. Gene served on Berea’s Board of Trustees for six years and Joan worked as a class chairperson on the Alumni Council. Just as the College motivated Gene and Joan to live their dreams, the Parrs’ support helps today’s Berea students to live theirs.

For nearly 60 years, Gene and Joan have shared their lives and resources with their alma mater, reflecting on the optimism Berea instills in its alumni. In Gene’s words, “We have a unity of mind and attitude toward Berea, for the College has done so much for both of us.”