Foundation

Wehrlys continue to find ways to give

We all know individuals who rise to challenges, demonstrating leadership and wisdom in the midst of difficulty. Professors emeriti Bea and Jim Wehrly were thoseBea and Jim Wehrly photo individuals this past year, stepping up to help students during a time of economic uncertainty.

Together, the Wehrlys have a long history of distinguished service and generosity to Western Illinois University. They came to Western in 1969 from Texas A&M University where Jim taught agricultural economics and Bea was the first woman to complete a Ph.D. in the College of Education. Jim was hired to teach agriculture in the College of Applied Sciences and Bea to teach in the College of Education.

After coming to WIU, Jim Wehrly upgraded the farm management curriculum through introducing business management principles. In Jim’s favorite field, agricultural finance, he transformed the curriculum from a course on institutional lenders in the agricultural sector to a financial management experience. Jim added tax management to the curriculum by introducing that content into existing courses and through creating new courses in farm income tax management and reporting.

Bea Wehrly’s College of Education appointment for her first four years at WIU was split between implementing an elementary counseling program at the WIU Laboratory School and teaching. When the Lab School closed, Bea moved to full-time teaching and added two courses: Counseling Children and Counseling/Helping in Multicultural Society, and facilitated six international summer study tours. Bea also facilitated workshops on cross-cultural and interracial counseling at conferences in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the Philippines.

In 1999, Bea helped establish the innovative Educators for Tomorrow Scholarship to assist students of diverse heritages pursuing careers in education. Since retiring, Bea has authored three textbooks on cross-cultural and interracial counseling and is currently serving on the American Counseling Association Editorial Review Board.

Sharing personal resources for the benefit of students has always been a matter of course for both Wehrlys.
“Bea and I started off saving $25 per month for scholarships many years ago when that was all we could afford, and did that for the first 30 years while raising our own family,” said Jim.

That monthly $25 evolved over the years into several scholarships that will survive into perpetuity to help deserving students meet their educational goals.
In 1991, Bea and Jim endowed the Wehrly Scholarship Fund to assist high achieving students of junior standing who have been involved in volunteer efforts on behalf of human rights and who have worked to provide financial support for themselves and/or others. Two scholarships were awarded each year until 2008, when a third was added through a $50,000 additional contribution from Jim in 2009. At the same time, Bea donated $20,000 to be used for short-term student loans because she recognized that “it was a rough time for students and their families.”

In December 2007, Jim contributed $50,000 to provide student scholarships in agricultural finance. Early in 2008, Bea donated $80,000 to provide an annual $3,000 scholarship for a student to study abroad for a full semester. Over the years, these two retired professors have directed more than $300,000 to Western for the sole purpose of easing the financial burden for our students.

“Bea and Jim live by Western’s mission of Higher Values in Higher Education,” said WIU President Al Goldfarb. “As faculty members and friends, they have exemplified our core values. The entire Western community is grateful for their tremendous generosity and legacy to our students.”

 

 

 

 

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