When Giving Back is Second Nature

Ruth (Good) Manke’s (’62) parents, Norman (’37) and Ruth Thomas (’37) Good, met while standing in the registration line at Nebraska Wesleyan. Her mother didn’t have the money for the student fees, so her father offered to pay them if she agreed to go out with him. As they say, the rest is history, and that was the beginning of Ruth’s parents’ history of philanthropy at Nebraska Wesleyan.

Ruth grew up in Chappell with her two sisters, Roberta (’67) and Loretta (’66), and brother, Norm (’62). Charitable giving was a concept embedded in her upbringing, although it was never talked about—it was lived out. “If your neighbor was sick, you’d join the other neighbors and help him out,” Ruth recalled. “You never question it; you just got up in the morning and did it.”

Growing up, they didn’t have a lot of money but they lived comfortably and within their means. “The harvesting of wheat was the income for the year,” Ruth said. “If it blew away or dried out, you simply didn’t have that year’s income. As we used to say, ‘Use it up, wear it out. Make it do or do without.’”

But the one thing Ruth’s parents never skimped on was the price of an education—a liberal arts education in particular. They specifically had “warm hearts” toward Nebraska Wesleyan, having met, studied and worked there in later years. Ruth remembers that a few young girls from their hometown were planning on going to Kearney State College (now University of Nebraska at Kearney), and Ruth’s parents anonymously paid the difference so they could attend Wesleyan instead.

Ruth herself came in 1958 and studied business administration, the same as her father. She recently retired from an over 35-year career in accounting. Her passion for what she does is evident by the way she lights up when talking about “those little numbers.” She credits NWU with giving her direction and setting her on the path to discovering her dream career.

“Wesleyan gave me the opportunity to expand my education and expand the world I live in and make it a better place."

Ruth has continued her parents’ legacy in supporting Nebraska Wesleyan. After giving back to NWU for many years though gifts to the Archway Fund, Ruth has generously included NWU in her estate plans. Her gift will be used to establish two endowed funds—one for student scholarships and the other for faculty support, both obvious choices in retrospect.

Scholarship support played such a significant role in Ruth’s parents’ legacy. They established an endowed scholarship fund from the proceeds of charitable gift annuities they took out with NWU. “It was important to them that the benefits of Wesleyan be available to future generations,” Ruth said. “It’s amazing—we’re still getting thank-you notes from the students.”

Ruth’s appreciation for educators is another value stemming from her family. Her sister, Loretta Fairchild, and her brother-in-law, Robert Fairchild, have been long-time faculty members at NWU; Loretta is a professor emerita of economics, and Robert is a professor and chair of the physics department.

“Teachers don’t always get the credit they deserve,” Ruth remarked. “We’ve always benefitted from having very good teachers over the years.”

Giving back to Nebraska Wesleyan seems to come naturally to Ruth, and in her mind, her generosity is in no way extraordinary. It all comes back to that philosophy of giving that was instilled in her by her parents. “You never question it; you just get up in the morning and do it.”