Remembering Jamestown from Manhattan/Juel Wiese

While bequests continue to be the most popular method of supporting Jamestown College through planned giving, there are other options which provide both income and tax advantages* to donors during their lifetime.

Juel Wiese '44, New York City, is one of many Jamestown College supporters who originally make provisions in their wills to gift property to the College.

"I received a $500 scholarship to attend Jamestown College, and I have always felt if I had the means, I would pay that back ? with interest," she says.

Wiese received information from Jamestown College about using gifts of property to fund a planned gift that would provide her with an income stream to enjoy now in exchange for transferring an ownership interest in her property to Jamestown College today.

"This gift from Juel is an excellent example of how creative planning can provide a win-win opportunity for both the donor and the College," says Polly Peterson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. "We are grateful to Juel for all she has done for the College over the years as a former board member and longtime supporter of the arts at Jamestown College."

Though it was her dream to attend the Pasadena Playhouse after graduating from Cleveland (N.D.) High School, that $500 scholarship brought Wiese to Jamestown College, where her lifelong love of theatre was fostered by legendary professor Marion Jackson.

"We were the planets revolving around (Jackson)," Wiese says. "I had my eye on the theatre all along."

Jackson urged Wiese to go to New York to study acting with Theodore Komisarjevsky. After acting for several years, Wiese started to focus her attention on writing poetry and plays. Together with another playwright, she founded Playwrights/Actors Contemporary Theatre (PACT), a not-for-profit theatre company. Through PACT, Wiese has produced her own plays as well as the work of other playwrights in an Off-off-Broadway setting.

Wiese continues to invite playwrights to her home to work on their craft. Actors are also on hand at the workshops to read lines aloud.

"We started in June, and we meet twice a month," she says. "The group is working beautifully."

Thanks to her generosity toward Jamestown College through planned giving, Wiese is supporting the journey of countless students, just as she supports actors and playwrights in New York.

"Her gift will leave a legacy at Jamestown College for generations," Peterson says.

*Consult your tax adviser.