It seems only last week that I opened the mailbox. Inside was perhaps the most important letter I ever received. It was from Union College, Schenectady, New York. The letter informed my parents that I had been awarded a full tuition scholarship. The year was 1956. While hardly destitute, my parents were by no means wealthy. That scholarship enabled me to attend Union. In four years my life changed forever. Within the span of a single Olympiad I was exposed to differential and integral calculus, atomic physics and quantum mechanics, celestial mechanics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, philosophy, literature, classical music, impressionist painting, and myriad other wonderful ideas. Many of these reside somewhere within me, perhaps modified with the passage of time and new ideas; they form the stuff of my career, my beliefs, and indeed my entire life.
Union was the first place I ever saw an orrery. Union was also the first place I ever heard Schubert's “Trout Quintet.” Union College opened my mind to Henry David Thoreau, to Kepler's Laws and elliptical planetary orbits, to Gaussian distribution functions, to Fourier analysis, to Beethoven string quartets, to the paintings of J.M.W. Turner, to digging deeper for the “understanding beneath the information,” and to the world of ideas. The education provided at Union College enabled me to get a Ph.D. at Princeton, and jump-started my entire career. It seems only yesterday that I walked from West College to Memorial Chapel, and browsed within Nott Memorial. It was wonderful!
I owe much of that to some unknown benefactor who came before me, who also grew to love “the college on the hill,” and who dug a bit deeper to assure that others would have a similar opportunity long after he or she was gone. From the moment I got that letter I made a silent vow to do the same for others as had been done for me. Yes, it would be nice if I had accumulated great wealth during my lifetime and could, with a single check, assure scholarships for thousands. Since that is not to be…perhaps I can try to help assure at least one scholarship for one deserving student whom I may never meet, but who hopefully will become a better person and help make the world a better place. I invite you to consider what your education at Union was really worth. I doubt there are many things in your life that could possibly stand as a more enduring mark of your time on this planet than a gift to help secure the future of minds yet unborn.
Paul Jacobs '60 has always displayed a love for Union-as an eager student anxious to take full advantage of his time spent on campus, as a loyal supporter of the College's Annual Fund, as a dedicated alumnus sharing his experiences with current students, and as a philanthropist with the foresight to include Union in his estate plans through a provision in his will. When Paul came back to campus in June to speak to a group of students, he joined the Ramée Circle and also made a gift to establish a Charitable Gift Annuity at Union-a gift that will provide a stream of fixed income to Paul for life and future financial support for the College. When we asked Paul what motivated him to make this gift, he sent us the following letter, which speaks for itself.
For more information:
Union College strives to impact the life of every student in such a meaningful way, but can't do it without your help.
If you would like to learn more about scholarships at Union, the College's Charitable Gift Annuity Program,
or becoming a member of the Ramée Circle, please contact Tracey Tidgewell, Director of Gift Planning,
at (518) 388-6156, 1-888-843-4365 ext. 6156, or
tidgewet@union.edu.