Future Thinking Now By Mike Greife ’74 Eugenia Crain established a scholarship through a charitable annuity with the UCM Foundation. Dale Carder, interim executive director, notes that annuities are a venue that friends and alumni should consider. “For people tired <strong>of</strong> getting a one percent return on their investments, a charitable gift annuity pays five percent or better guaranteed. And you help more students become UCM graduates,” he says. A charitable gift annuity works simply, starting with a minimum gift <strong>of</strong> $25,000. “Based on the ages <strong>of</strong> you and your spouse, a return rate is locked in for the remainder <strong>of</strong> both <strong>of</strong> your lives. You draw a guaranteed quarterly payment,” Carder says. “Upon death, you can have predetermined what the remainder <strong>of</strong> your annuity funds, such as an academic program or scholarship. Depending on your tax bracket, about 50% <strong>of</strong> your donation is tax deductible and in some cases, even the first two or three years <strong>of</strong> your quarterly payments are tax free.” 22 SPRING 2011 Eugenia Crain’s career as an educator provided her with opportunities to meet interesting people who encouraged her to explore new challenges. Now retired, the pr<strong>of</strong>essor emeritus <strong>of</strong> accounting has made those same opportunities available to new generations <strong>of</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Missouri</strong> students by establishing a charitable gift annuity that eventually will provide a $100,000 gift through the UCM Foundation for scholarships. A native <strong>of</strong> Sturgeon, MO, Crain graduated from Northeast <strong>Missouri</strong> State Teachers College in 1942. After working for the state family services agency, she began teaching high school business classes in 1946 in New Franklin, MO. She soon moved across the river to Boonville, where she and her first husband, the late Aven Roberts, taught at Kemper Military Academy. While teaching at Kemper, she obtained her master’s and specialist’s degrees from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Missouri</strong>. Following Roberts’ death in 1969, Crain taught briefly at Northeast <strong>Missouri</strong> State before accepting an opportunity to come to UCM as an accountant in the financial affairs <strong>of</strong>fice working with sponsored programs. She had remarried, and she and her husband, Stanley Crain, took advantage <strong>of</strong> the opportunity to move to Warrensburg in 1972. “Dr. Wyss was the vice president for financial affairs at the time, and I had known him when he lived Boonville,” Crain says. “I saw him one day when I was visiting in Boonville, and he asked me if I would consider coming to CMSU. It sounded like a wonderful opportunity. It seems so many <strong>of</strong> the wonderful experiences in my life have come from generous <strong>of</strong>fers from people I know.” While serving as an accountant in financial affairs, she also taught a class in accounting. Wyss encouraged her to begin teaching accounting courses in the College <strong>of</strong> Business. That opportunity turned into a career preparing UCM students for the business world. Following Mr. Crain’s death in 2000, she retired in 2001, but not before making the decision to establish the Stanley and Eugenia R. Crain Scholarship for undergraduate students in accounting through the UCM Foundation. Crain is enjoying her retirement, where she remains active in the Columbia community. She recalls her years at UCM and in the Warrensburg community with fondness. “My years at UCM were filled with wonderful friendships on campus and in Warrensburg,” she says. “I wanted to enable future students to share the same benefits I received at UCM. Those benefits included the counsel <strong>of</strong> fellow teachers and administrators who worked hard to provide the leadership and service that produced the quality education enjoyed by UCM students.” She still finds time to interact with young people, maintaining her season tickets for the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Missouri</strong> women’s basketball games. She stays in touch with friends in Warrensburg and still hears from former students. “Education is important,” she says. “It’s important to support the schools that educate the American public. The success <strong>of</strong> our democracy depends on an educated public.”
“Education is important. It’s important to support the schools that educate the American public. The success <strong>of</strong> our democracy depends on an educated public.” <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Missouri</strong> | today 23
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