A testamentary gift of $15,000 from the estate of Lola Lavender Mack provided the initial funding of the Bluefield State Foundation, which was established in February, 1969. Mrs. Mack’s gift and her years of service to Bluefield State University – both as an alumna and faculty member – were recognized in a ceremony on May 15, 2009 that inaugurated the Foundation’s planned giving society, The Pillars.

Estate gifts, most of which are made through wills such as Mrs. Mack’s, often are the gifts of a lifetime: the greatest gift an individual ever makes. They also typically provide the largest contributions that nonprofit organizations receive. When these gifts are used to create an endowment, they establish a firm financial base that assures the organization’s ability to endure and fulfill its mission.

At the Bluefield State Foundation, we believe in the importance of expressing gratitude to those who wish to remember the university and our students in this way. We want to say, “Thank you,” to our donors while they are still with us. It is a sad fact that recipient organizations cannot personally thank donors for estate gifts unless they are notified prior to the donor’s passing. If you have included the University or Foundation in your estate – or if you would like information on how to do so – please call 304-327-4031.

Members of The Pillars

Thomas G. and Nancy Blevins Bodnar
Carl and Selba B. Boyd
Dr. Donald Caudill
Lola Lavender Mack (Posthumous)
Othello Maria Harris-Jefferson (Posthumous)
Billy G. Moore (Posthumous)
Ralph Patsel
Deborrah Pittman
Connie Saunders
Daniel S. Stevens (Posthumous)
Katharine Tierney (Posthumous)
Bertha Underwood (Posthumous)