James and Dorothy Barrett Jacobsen ’57

Brief bio: Jacobsen came to Monmouth from Princeville, Ill., drawn by the opportunity to attend a small college. After graduating, she earned a master’s degree in library science and worked in that field and as a teacher before raising three children. Her late husband, Jim (pictured), also attended a liberal arts college, and went on to serve as vice chairman of Kellwood Co. He served on Monmouth’s board of trustees for 23 years.

Their gift: The Jacobsens provided an endowed scholarship that has been awarded to more than 100 Monmouth students over the years.

Why she gives: “We started a tradition of helping students,” said Dorothy, who fondly recalled the pizza parties she and her husband would host on campus to get to know the scholarship recipients. She remembers meeting a student whose grandmother had graduated with her from high school, and another scholarship recipient who really opened up when sharing stories about being involved in band, which Dorothy had also joined as a Monmouth student. “We liked that we were able to get to know some of them,” she said.

What Monmouth means to her: “I enjoyed my classes at Monmouth, and I enjoyed being in band with Dr. (Hal) Loya very much,” said Dorothy. “Early on, I thought I would need to transfer to a larger university to pursue library science, but I loved being at Monmouth so much that I begged and begged my mother to allow me to stay at Monmouth for all four years.”