| Support MUS |
| Why We Give |
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Click a name below to see why these donors give to MUS. Email us if you'd like to share your story. 
Darin Clifft My family gives to the Annual Fund because we believe in the mission of Memphis University School. I get to see first-hand and on a daily basis how much of an impact this school makes on the young men who come through our doors. I also know the daily miracles I am witness to would not be possible if it were not for good people like you and me who financially support this school. The electric bill has to be paid, the grass has to be mowed, teachers' salaries have to be paid, copy machines have to be repaired. Heaven knows Lisa and I can't cover these bills; we are both teachers, so money is always tight in our family. But, together, we can all cover the difference. I have heard it said, "You can tell what is important to people by where they invest themselves." I don't want people to say that acquiring things or entertaining myself was important to me. I want them to say that my students, my coworkers, and my school - MUS - must be important to me because I invest my time, my energy, and my financial resources there. 
Brett Grinder '91 I believe that MUS plays a very important role in the development and future of Memphis. Most MUS alumni come back to the city after college and become instrumental in some form of leadership of the city's business, real estate, non-profit, political, arts, or educational interests. If you look at any positive development the city has had with its museums, downtown, arts programs, or sports teams, most of these major changes and developments have MUS alumni involved and driving that progress. Every major business in town including the banking, finance, manufacturing, distribution, real estate, construction, and legal professions has MUS alumni involved. The city depends heavily on the leaders MUS produces, and MUS depends heavily on financial support from its alumni and donors to produce those leaders and well-educated men. I'm sure to be a lifelong Memphian, so I see supporting MUS as a smart way to invest back in my hometown. 
John Harkins After family, I love MUS more than any other tangible entity on earth. This great appreciation and affection for the school did not emerge full-blown when I initially came here in 1968. Rather it increasingly grew on me during “my years of exile,” after I left teaching here to do doctoral work. During the years between 1975 and 1986, I checked anxiously every year to see if there might be an opening in the MUS History Department. When Mr. Thorn called me to come talk with him about returning here to teach, I was overjoyed. Since returning, and especially since researching and writing the MUS Century Book, Georgia and I have increasingly viewed the MUS community as an extended and much beloved family.
Dot and Jim Harwood Memphis University School was not in operation during my high school years in the early 1950's. I certainly regret that. Therefore, Dot and I feel fortunate that our son took advantage and our grandsons are taking advantage of the neat opportunities and college prepatory courses offered by MUS. We encourage other grandparents to support this fine school with its excellent educational and athletic programs.
Judy Hurst I support the Annual Fund because I want MUS to continue to be the great place that has been for so many boys. I love these boys like they're my family and I feel protective of them. I am comfortable talking with them about anything and correcting them when necessary. It gives me a great feeling when I speak to former students and see how they have matured to be successful men. 
Sally and Alan Perry Memphis University School is such an important "cog" in the wheel that is Memphis....in the life that is our son's. We gladly donate our time and our resources to an institution that focuses on excellence; an institution that instills the knowledge, values and team spirit necessary for our son, for all our sons, to mature and flourish in tomorrow's society...in tomorrow's world. We thank all those individuals including faculty, coaches, administration and staff for their dedication to making MUS the outstanding learning institution it is today! 
Barry Ray When I first began my teaching career in 1978, Memphis University School was new to me, and I looked at it as a job. It didn't take long to create long and lasting friendships with colleagues, students, and parents. The "job" changed and MUS became more than a place to go to work. Over the years, I have seen (and experienced) what MUS has meant to so many and the way lives here have been positively affected by the education provided for our students. I choose to give to the Annual Fund because I truly believe in the mission of the school. This is no longer a job, but a home. This year my grandson entered the seventh grade at MUS. I hope for him to have the same positive educational experience that generations before him have had. I want him to acquire the academic skills, the leadership training, the commitment to service, and the life-long friendships that I've seen MUS students get. I believe in what we do and am proud to support the school through my participation in the Annual Fund. Without the support of the alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, and friends of the school, we couldn't provide the same experience for our current and future students. 
Dan Robertson '80 Why do I continue to support the MUS Annual Fund, even though I haven't lived in Memphis in 17 years? I truly believe that without the education I received there and the support MUS faculty gave me, I would not have achieved what I presently enjoy. I have been able to establish a successful neurosurgery practice in Florida, help in the local Salvation Army clinic, and serve on local community boards. I feel that my initial education at MUS instilled in me the necessary tools to achieve these things. I have vivid memories of interactions with teachers who instilled in me the principles of work and contribute, the importance of attention to detail, getting along with others, and not talking in class. My financial support is my way of saying 'Thank you' for a debt I can scarcely repay. 
Jim Russell Ever since Colonel Ross M. Lynn invited me in the spring of 1965 to join his small group of young men and teachers at Memphis University School, I have felt myself to be part of a community with both significant purpose and achievement. Positive collateral efforts by many members of the MUS staff have increased our bonds as we strive to effect the best education possible for young Memphians. My support of the Annual Fund derives from my sense of commitment to other faculty and staff at MUS as well as to our alumni, their families, and our present student body. It feels good to contribute regularly with cash as well as time and energy. It's very much like writing a thank-you note after having received a terrific gift. 
Jim Varner '73 An MUS education and its lifetime beneficial effect on alumni serve as motivations for supporting this outstanding institution. Support of MUS ensures that current and future students will continue to enjoy the benefits of an MUS education, which encompasses not only academics but also athletics and future participation as alumni. Estate planning represents the best form of deferred planned giving and is a significant way in which I have chosen to support MUS. I am also exploring two other excellent opportunities for supporting MUS - earmarking MUS as the recipient of a provision in one's will or naming MUS as a life insurance beneficiary. However, planned giving should not serve as a substitute for Annual Fund giving, as current ongoing operations at school require annual gifts which defray current expenses and ensure the continuity of the school. |
