John Magerus

John Magerus

For John Magerus, the decision to include the UW-L Foundation in his will was simple.

“The university was a good place for me. I enjoyed my time there,” explains the retired College of Liberal Studies Dean. “It’s just a continuation of giving that everyone should undertake. Besides, I’ve never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse.”

Magerus has always been generous, a characteristic he learned from his Oklahoma City parents, a factory worker and homemaker. “They were ordinary, hard-working people,” he notes.

To honor them, Magerus helped establish an Oklahoma City Community Foundation endowment in their name.

When he retired Magerus’ CLS colleagues organized a performance by faculty, staff and students to create a fund to honor the top CLS graduate. Friends and colleagues responded and Magerus added to endow it, creating the John E. Magerus Award for the Outstanding Graduating Senior from the College of Liberal Studies.

Magerus, a member of the UW-L Foundation Legacy Guild, encourages others to give. “All of us have more stuff than we need,” he notes. “It feels good to give back.”