Borrowed Shoes
posted by Michael Schneider | | My Thoughts
When W. Marvin Will arrived on campus as a student in the 1950s the first thing he needed was a pair of shoes. He got shoes and a McPherson College education.
Marvin graduated from McPherson College, went to graduate school, met his wife Doreen and settled into a 30-year career as a history professor at Tulsa University. He and Doreen led an extraordinary life. He wrote books, published papers, organized elections in the Caribbean and even started a civics program to engage kids in government. Marvin became an expert in Caribbean politics and Doreen spent much of her time editing his papers. They traveled all over the world together.
Marvin died in 2007 after battling ALS and Doreen died one year ago. They loved McPherson College.
Funny thing about those shoes Marvin got when he arrived on campus all those years ago… he always said they were just borrowed. The Will’s estate was recently settled and their legacy is an endowed scholarship fund at McPherson College to support needy students interested in studying history and political science.
The total gift amount… $1.8 million.
Leave a Reply
