Place all the students Jay and John Evans have recruited to Austin College end to end and they would reach … Well, how far they would reach is unknown, but the point is, it would be a long way.
The twins from El Campo, Texas, learned about Austin College from Mary Foulks, who visited their Presbyterian church on behalf of Austin College while they were in high school. They made arrangements to visit the campus, and the rest, as it is said, is history.
Their own experiences at Austin College were life changing. They discovered interests in music and the arts and ideas through lectures and campus guests. John considered his interaction with John D. and Sara Bernice Moseley a highlight of his student years and beyond, crediting the former Austin College president with affirming and pushing him in his career path.
After John and Jay graduated and began graduate degrees for respective careers in ministry and education, the men worked together at Austin College for a time. John, whose career path included work as an admission counselor, director of church relations and interim campus minister at Austin College, continued his distinguished career as a church administrator, admission counselor, and development officer for several Presbyterian ministries. He retired in June 2008 from the staff of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Jay served as a teacher of mathematics and choral music before returning to the College to begin a nearly 40-year career in admissions in which he recruited hundreds of students to Austin College. During his tenure with the College, he received the prestigious Founders Award from the Texas Association for College Admissions Counseling in recognition of his talent, devotion to students, and contributions “above and beyond the call of duty.” Also, the Board of Trustees presented Jay with the Homer P. Rainey Award for Outstanding Achievement and Service in 1997, the highest honor bestowed upon Austin College faculty and staff members. When he retired in June 2008, Jay held the position of associate vice president for Institutional Enrollment.
Both men believe that the Austin College experience provided more than vocational direction (or jobs!). “The enjoyment of lasting relationships and of learning for a lifetime are benefits to treasure,” they said, speaking of many alumni, faculty, and administrators who have become their lifelong friends. “It is the very close family of relationships,” Jay and John agreed, “that sets Austin College apart.” “The relationship with our alma mater,” John said, “is a loving one that we are happy will continue even after we are gone.”
Ensuring the continuation of that relationship has long been part of their lives. The Evans’ parents created charitable life income plans to benefit John and Jay during their lifetimes, with the ultimate beneficiaries as Austin College, Austin Theological Seminary, Mo-Ranch, and other institutions that have shaped the brothers’ lives. The example of their parents’ philanthropy set the precedent for their own giving habits. They regularly contribute to the Austin College Annual Fund and have made gifts to the College through their estate plans. “There is no joy greater than being able to make gifts during your lifetime, as well as after,” John said. “The pattern was set by our parents and is a value handed down one generation to another.”
Jay commented, “Our dad took Scott Buchanan, a fundraiser for the College, out in a boat while we both were working at the College. The ‘catch of the day’ came when our dad gave Scott a check for $2,500 to create the Jewel Jones and Mary Moragne Evans Scholarship, with a request that the other students receive the same valuable education his sons had received.” This scholarship endowment has given the Evans twins a place to continue to make memorial gifts. Both agreed, “We have plenty to live with; this gives us something to live for!”
Jay and John were named Distinguished Alumni in 1994, and the College proudly awarded Jay with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during 2010 commencement ceremonies. Jay summed up the brothers’ feelings for Austin College: “The College is like a church to me … a home … a community … a place that allows me to give back some of what I have been given.”
For more information about life income plans, please contact us at plannedgiving@austincollege.edu or 903.813.2336.
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