Make us a beneficiary of your IRA or other “non-probate” assets

With this in mind, Jim and his wife, Janet, have made Knox the owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policy. They make a donation annually to Knox so that Knox can then pay the premium. Upon their deaths, the resulting gift to Knox will fund an endowed scholarship for first-generation students.

“By giving Knox a life insurance policy, we are able to magnify our annual gift to Knox by seven to eight times.” To Jim, this way of giving makes a lot of sense. “Depending on a family’s income and with the help of a life insurance professional, a family can decide on how much they can afford to spend on a premium and Knox can benefit from the gift,” he says.

A native of Knoxville, Illinois, Jim followed his mother, Margaret McCoy ’33, to Knox. Both he and his mother admired Hermann Muelder, who taught history when Jim’s mother attended Knox and was the dean of students when Jim was a student. “Hermann was a tough guy and he expected the best out of everybody,” Jim recalls.

After graduating from Knox, Jim attended medical school at Washington University and worked as a radiation oncology specialist at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, following his residency at the University of Chicago Hospital. After he retired, he served on the admission committee for Washington University’s medical school. After one of his colleagues ribbed him about Knox, Jim decided to do something.”I didn’t like that and I decided that I could do something about it,” Jim says. “I’m an achiever and I want to get things done.” He determined that gifting Knox with a life insurance policy was the best way to ensure Knox continues to attract exemplary students.