Development News
Estate gift to College of Education honors wife’s love for education
When Patricia A. Malone passed away in 2016, her husband Hugh L. “Pat” Malone chose to make an estate gift in her memory to Tennessee Tech’s College of Education. Pat passed away in 2020, but the Malones’ dedication to education will endure at the university through the Patricia A. Malone Education Support Endowment.
“We are honored that the Malones would make such a generous gift,” said Lisa Zagumny, dean of the College of Education. “Donor support makes a tangible difference for students, many of whom would not be able to pursue higher education without such support.”
Patricia, commonly known as Patsy, was a lifelong learner and supporter of education. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in education from George Peabody College in Nashville and her Master of Arts degree in educational administration and supervision from Tech. She taught at the University School of Nashville for 24 years and, after moving with her husband to Cookeville in the late 1990s, taught for several years in the Putnam County school system.
The Patricia A. Malone Education Support Endowment will be used by the dean of the College of Education to assist with emergency and other priority needs of education majors. Zagumny says unrestricted support like this is invaluable because it allows the college to use the funds where they are most needed.
“Donor support has been used to purchase textbooks for a student who had his backpack stolen,” she explained. “We had another student who lost her backpack in the March 3, 2020 tornado, so we helped with her textbooks, too. You never know what need will arise, so it’s important to have some flexibility with gifts.”
Associate dean of the College of Education Julie Baker says she has seen firsthand the challenges students face in their academic and personal lives, but she doesn’t want these challenges to impede the students’ ability to attend and be successful in their classes.
“We’ve seen that a little extra financial support can make a huge difference in a student’s academic career,” said Baker. “We’re so very thankful to have donors who understand the impact of their gifts.”
