September 28, 1999
Contact: John Scarffe, KU Endowment, (785) 832-7336.
LAWRENCE - A Prairie Village couple has made a gift commitment valued today at $115,000 that ultimately will provide unrestricted support for the University of Kansas, Jim Martin, president of the Kansas University Endowment Association, announced today.
Sharon Edgar Van Dyke and Thomas W. Van Dyke, an attorney, committed the gift through their estate plan to KU Endowment. The Van Dykes have named the association as a beneficiary on two of their retirement plans. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, a percentage of the amount remaining in the plans will go to KU Endowment for unrestricted use. Unrestricted gifts can be used for many purposes, including the funding of scholarships, providing materials for faculty and buying state-of-the-art equipment.
"We are deeply grateful to Tom and Sharon Van Dyke for their generous support of the University of Kansas," Martin said. "Unrestricted support is important because it allows KU to solve unexpected problems and take advantage of unexpected opportunities."
Both Tom and Sharon Van Dyke graduated from KU in 1960. Tom Van Dyke graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a major in economics. Sharon Van Dyke earned a KU bachelor's degree in speech therapy. Each received the Hilltopper Award for outstanding seniors.
As a KU student, Sharon Van Dyke was a cheerleader and was active in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Tom was president of Student Union Activities and was a member of Phi Delta Theta, the KU Relays Committee, Omicron Delta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Psi and SACHEM.
Tom Van Dyke received his law degree in 1963 from the University of Michigan and worked at the Securities Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., from 1963 to 1965, then moved to Kansas City to join the Linde Thomson law firm. Since 1991, he has been a partner in Bryan Cave LLP.
Tom Van Dyke is a member of the American Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association and the Missouri Bar Association. He helped start Big Brothers in Kansas City and is past president of that organization, as well as the Kansas City, Mo., Jaycees. He is an advisory director of Kansas City Harmony, president of the board of D.R.E.A.M. Center Partners, and was former chairman of the Mayor's Advisory Commission on Human Relations for Kansas City, Mo. For 10 years he has been the emcee for the Overland Park Mayor's Prayer Breakfast. He has received the national Arthur Priest Award from Phi Delta Theta and is past president of the board of the Kansas Memorial Union Corporation.
Sharon is active in the Kansas City-area alumni chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma and also is a member of the Junior League of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties.
She is on the board of trustees of the Midwest Ear Institute and volunteers at the Village Presbyterian Church Child Care Center. The Van Dykes are members of the Country Club Christian Church, where Tom is a life elder.
The Van Dykes are long-time supporters of KU. They previously have given more than $19,000 for KU programs. They are life members of the KU Alumni Association and also belong to the Chancellors Club, KU's major-donor organization, and the Elizabeth Watkins Society, which honors donors of planned gifts.
The fund will be administered by the KU Endowment Association, the official fund-raising and fund management organization for the University of Kansas. Founded in 1891, the Endowment Association is the oldest foundation of its type at a public university in the United States and one of the largest.
Story by Karla Carney Menaugh