Marc Raney '69 and Gail Todd Raney '71

SU major: Psychology (Marc), Psychology (Gail)
Career path: Retired University and Healthcare Administrator (Marc), Educator and Administrator (Gail)
Future Gift Impact: The Raneys included a bequest in their estate plans that will provide unrestricted support for Southwestern.

Marc '69 and Gail Todd Raney '71 have more than an alumni perspective of Southwestern. After meeting as students (Marc was Gail's orientation leader), the couple were married and came back to campus for six years when Marc was hired in 1974 as Director of Alumni Relations and later Director of Development. Their daughter, Ann Raney Stoltz '02 is also a Southwestern graduate.

Both Marc and Gail went to large high schools and grew up in Methodist families, so Southwestern's small size and Methodist connection were appealing to them. Marc also says Daryl Lindloff '60 lived in his neighborhood and had a lot of good things to say about SU. Gail says that her scholarship was the deciding factor for her. "I recall that the minute I stepped onto campus, I knew it was where I was meant to be," she says. "I thought these are the people I need to be with and the discussions I'm supposed to be having. I finally felt at home, and it was my scholarship that made it possible for me to be here."

After graduating, Marc and Gail went to Boston for graduate school. Marc says that because Southwestern helped them to grow spiritually, morally, academically and socially, they felt very well prepared. "When we went to grad school, we knew why we had the values and the opinions we had, thanks to the discussions we had with our faculty and peers at SU," he says. "Southwestern changes people," adds Gail.

Now as Southwestern alumni, parents and former staff members, the Raney's have chosen to include the University in their estate plans. "Knowing that I went to Southwestern on a scholarship makes me want to pay that back and provide the experience for others," says Gail. In part because his career has been all about philanthropy, Marc says that giving back is a life expectation and a way to perpetuate the type of education that Southwestern offers. "We can do much more for our Alma Mater through our estate than we could ever do during our lifetime," he says.

Interested in learning more about how to include Southwestern University in your will, trust or retirement plan? Contact the Development Office at 512-863-1211 to learn about gift options and opportunities.

If you have already named Southwestern University as a beneficiary, please let us know of your plans. This will enable us not only to show our appreciation of your generosity, but also to include your support in planning for the future of Southwestern.