Peace of Mind

David Peace is not your traditional Nebraska Wesleyan alumnus. For one thing, he started classes at 63 years old and finished at 74.

He remembers once telling his granddaughter how long he had studied at NWU.

His granddaughter laughed. “Grandpa,” she said, “you had a hard time getting through college!”

“You don’t understand,” Dave answered, “I didn’t want to get through college. I wanted to stay in college for as long as I could.”

When Dave was approaching retirement from a 29-year career as a stockbroker, he was afraid his life would lose its purpose. “I didn’t want to spend my retirement just playing golf or working out at the gym,” he said. “I wanted to be challenged and to stay active, both physically and mentally.”

His wife, Theresa, was in agreement. She told him, “If you think you’re just going to hang around the house all day, you have another thing coming.”

One day a client told Dave about Nebraska Wesleyan’s Senior College. This program allows seniors 60 and older to enroll in available classes by permission of the instructor for $25 a class.

So Dave “got out of Theresa’s hair” and headed over to campus. He spoke with the admissions staff, and before he left he had signed up for two classes: Art and Society and The U.S. West.

“I remember the first day I came to campus for class,” he said. “I had this overwhelming feeling like I belonged here. It felt rewarding in a way I’d never experienced before. I knew I could excel here.”

Dave admits he wasn’t a very good student the first time around. He received his bachelor’s degree from Marietta College in Ohio. But he was more interested in the social aspects of college than his education. In class, he kept his head down and didn’t participate much.

But at NWU, he was encouraged to participate—to share his knowledge and unique perspective. Not only did he finally feel comfortable speaking up, he encouraged others to do the same.

“Some of the undergraduate students, especially the first-years, were reluctant to participate in class,” he remembers. “There was a young woman who sat next to me and I told her once, ‘You know this stuff. Put your hand up and speak up.’”

“Dave was an ideal student and a role model for other students,” said Professor of History Steve Wills. “I was a new professor not far out of grad school when I first taught him in Intro to East Asian History. He was so respectful, insightful and eager to be part of the class. He participated but he never dominated the conversation. Sometimes he would draw from his own experiences in Asia during the Vietnam War.”

When Dave graduated from Marietta, he joined the Navy and served for 11 years. For his last assignment he was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. He and Theresa decided to stay in Nebraska.

And 29 years later, he would continue his education in Nebraska.

At NWU, Dave studied everything from Renaissance art to modern Chinese history. Each fall, he would look forward to classes starting. He would walk across campus, leaves crunching under his feet, and feel a part of something special. He loved attending football games and theatre productions and spending hours researching in the library. Even though he didn’t have to write papers along with the rest of his class, he always did. Theresa would type them up for him.

Dave’s thirst for knowledge that brought him to the classroom also sent him outside of the classroom. He traveled with his classmates on two study abroad trips—to Japan with Steve Wills and to Italy with former professor of art, Don Paoletta.

Steve Wills said he couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion. “Dave is so young at heart and open to new experiences. I have such fond memories of long train rides and insightful conversations.”

On their trip to Italy, Dave asked Theresa to come with him. “Every morning I would head to ‘class’ and leave Theresa to enjoy reading a newspaper out on the patio of our apartment,” he remembered. “Then she would meet me and the other Wesleyan students for lunch and join us as we explored the greatness of art galleries and museums unequalled in the western world. Professor Paoletta made the art come alive for all of us. Theresa would often talk of happy memories from that trip.”

Theresa passed away last year, and Dave moved to North Carolina to be closer to his son and grandchildren. While he loves North Carolina, he admits that he misses Nebraska Wesleyan.

Before he left Nebraska, he knew he needed to do something for NWU. One day, he walked into President Ohles’ office, told him his story and said, “I want to find a way to give back.”

Dave decided to include Nebraska Wesleyan in his estate plans. His gift will support faculty development in the art and history departments.

“I was stunned and humbled when I heard about the gift,” said Meghan Winchell, professor of history and chair of the department. “We’re just happy when students have good experiences here. This gift was a nice reminder of the impact we can have on someone’s life.”

“You can’t take it with you,” Dave said. “I certainly didn’t need a bigger house or a faster car. The important things are the people and institutions you feel strongly about. This gift feels personal. Wesleyan gave me so much; I just want to give something back.”