Samford University

Gift of Appreciated Securities

George and Pat Scofield

George and Pat Scofield were the Alumni of the Year in 2000. If you get to know them, the reason is obvious. Although they have a large, close-knit family, they have always had room to be actively involved in the Samford family.

George: Pat and I are both 1949 graduates of Samford and are proud to be serving as Alumni Council agents for our class. We dated through our years at Samford and later married. Little did we know that our time at Samford would produce a lifetime of fulfilling experiences with the University. Our decision to establish and grow a fund at Samford has given us both great satisfaction in knowing that we are helping students who might not otherwise have been at Samford. Over the years, the notes from students receiving our scholarship have meant more to us than we could have ever imagined.

Pat: Both of my brothers attended Samford and were in the A Capella Choir, as was I. Today, I continue to be active in the Hypatia Cup Society and Samford Auxiliary. Since George and I have always loved music, several years ago we were asked to serve as charter members of Samford's Music Scholarship Endowment Committee.

We decided to establish the Earle and Marie Trent Music Scholarship in honor of my parents. My father was instrumental in the beginning of the Howard College Extension Department in the 1940s, and my mother began a clothes ministry for minister's families. I knew they would have been proud that George and I had started a fund to help students be able to attend Samford, especially since the fund was started with stock that passed from my grandfather to my father to me. It was meaningful to me that George and I were creating a Samford legacy by passing on a family legacy.

George: We hope some of the students who benefit from our legacy will eventually follow our example and do the same thing to create their own legacies for others. We have been able to add to our fund every year since it was started and are delighted to see that it has grown substantially. It is especially fulfilling that we continue to use stock that Pat's father left her when he died.

Pat: Appreciated stock is called a "tax-wise" gift because we give the current market value even though the value of the stock was much lower when it was given to me. We get a tax deduction for the current value and don't have to pay taxes on the appreciation in value.

Each year, I just call my financial advisor and tell him how much stock we want to give to Samford. He contacts Samford's Director of Gift Planning, who provides the information for the gift to be made electronically.

I encourage anyone who has appreciated assets to consider using those assets for a gift. It is a perfect way to do more with your gift.

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