Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for New Athletic Complex
By Emily Parker
Meredith College hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on September 8, 2023, to celebrate the construction of a new softball, tennis, and golf complex that will allow athletes adequate space to train. Chris Speight Brown, ’76, along with her siblings Elizabeth Speight Cooley and Bobby Speight, Jr., gave a $1 million lead gift that will name the Estes-Speight Family Athletic Complex in memory of their mother Mary Estes Speight, ’53, and their father Bobby Speight.
By Emily Parker
Faculty and staff walked into the newly renovated Jones Auditorium on August 14 for the start of the academic year and the annual State of the College address to see new seating, carpet, and lighting; a new mechanical lift for accessibility; and general upgrades. Phase one of the renovation is now complete and was supported by a lead gift from Lisa Robie Poole, ’86, and her husband, Ven Poole.
By Emily Parker
Alumnae and friends of Meredith College have played an integral role in supporting students in the past fiscal year. Contributing and volunteering shows students they have people who care about their education, time outside the classroom, health, future careers, and overall experience at Meredith. The College is thankful for all who have made students’ experiences even better.
Giving Day 2024
Make it Count for Meredith
Mark your calendar to make a gift to support all students on February 27. When you make a gift you can honor a strong woman in your life. Who will you honor?
Support Meredith
Gifts to Meredith College make a difference to the entire Meredith community and keep our students going strong!
Visit meredith.edu/support and make a gift that addresses the College’s greatest needs, select a more specific way to make an immediate impact on the College, make a long-term, endowed gift, or a gift through your will or trust.
Also, learn how you can attend future events or how you can volunteer. Connect with other alumnae and students through the Meredith Mentors program.
Visit meredith.edu/support to stay connected and reach out to an Institutional Advancement staff member to assist you if you have questions. To make a gift, visit community.meredith.edu/supportMC.
Honor Roll Stories
By Emily Parker
In 2022, Carolyn Murray Happer and her husband Leonard Shaw Graham created the Happer-Graham History Scholarship and the Happer-Graham History Program Fund. These gifts will help support history students who aspire to become teachers and enhance learning opportunities by funding research, summer study, and conference attendance.
By Emily Parker
Bobby and Franny Beasley saw first-hand how a student’s relationship with a professor affects their college experience. The positive experience their daughter, Lindsay Beasley, ’13, had at Meredith with Diane Ellis, Beasley’s fashion merchandising professor, was transformative and helped her both inside and outside the classroom.
By Emily Parker
In 2022 Meredith College partnered with FreeWill – a secure, online estate planning resource. It takes as little as 20 minutes to protect the things that matter most to you and it is free. Alumnae who have already used the tool found it easy to use and are glad they learned that Meredith offers this self-guided platform. The website walks you through the will-writing process and allows you to include an optional legacy donation to support Meredith College.