Union College has received gifts from generous alumni and friends, such as Burt Payne '41, who share in the dream of an exceptional education for talented students.
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Burton Payne ’41 owned and operated Payne Chemical Corporation in Glendale, Calif. for 35 years before retiring in 2005. Burt, as he is known to acquaintances, still resides in Glendale, where at age 90 he retains the straight-forward demeanor of a business owner.
So, when asked why he established three charitable gift annuities totaling more than $1 million and named the College as the largest beneficiary of his trust, he gives a short but complete answer.
“They gave me a good education,” Payne says during an interview at his California home. “As a matter of fact, a business came around and offered me a job before I graduated.”
Payne moved to California to work for a company that later eliminated his job. But he stayed in the Golden State and by 1970 had founded Payne Chemical Corporation.
Burt and his late wife, Dolores, visited Union on their honeymoon in 1943, but he has not been back to campus since.
Nonetheless, he is appreciative of Union’s role in his success and frequently recommends the College to young people. Burt admires fellow alumni John S. Wold ’38 and Gordon Gould ’41 and followed their lead in issuing several unrestricted gifts to the College.
“I’m getting older every day, but that’s good,” he says jokingly. “When you give to Union, you know your money’s going to do some good.”
For more information, contact:
Jacqueline Cavalier, Director, Gift Planning
(518) 388-6156 (direct)
(888) 843-4365 ext. 6156 (toll free)