Dale Hudson (’64, ’66) grew up wanting to see more of the world, and he knew his ticket was the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He hails from Sequatchie County, Tennessee, which has much to offer in scenic countryside views and community warmth but remains one of the least populated counties in the state. With only one public high school, his home county felt small to young Hudson.
“When I graduated from Sequatchie County High School, I knew that I wanted to discover the world. UT and my chemical engineering degrees were my link to that world and a successful career with a major international company,” says Hudson, who spent many years working in locations across the globe with Shell.
Named in honor of Hudson’s parents, the Roy and Hazel Hudson Memorial Scholarship Endowment was established at UT by Hudson and his wife, Miriam, in 2018. It currently supports three students from his home county and high school with a multi-year award to attend the university.
“We started the scholarship because I believe that each year there may be at least one graduate from Sequatchie County High School who feels like I did and would apply to UT if their family could afford it. I want to eliminate that obstacle,” explains Hudson.
Hudson gives to the scholarship every year through an IRA as a tax-efficient means of increasing the endowment. The invested funds provide for increasing numbers of students as it grows, expanding the Hudsons’ impact to current and future Vols from Sequatchie County.
“A few years ago, I spoke briefly with one young lady during an appointment I had at Sequatchie County High School to promote the scholarship program. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for UT or that UT was right for her, but I encouraged her to apply,” recalls Hudson. “She was accepted, and one year later I met her again during a visit to UT—it was amazing to see how she had progressed. She loved UT and had discovered so many avenues that her life could take that she was not even aware of when I first met her.
“It’s experiences like this that confirm I made the right decision to support UT students from my hometown.”
By giving through IRA qualified charitable distribution, or IRA charitable rollover, donors can support any area of interest at UT while saving on taxes, something many of us consider as the calendar year draws to a close.
If you haven’t yet taken full advantage of the IRA Charitable Rollover, there is still time left in the year to do so. IRA account holders aged 70 ½+ can donate up to $108,000 tax-free, and those 73+ can count rollovers toward required minimum distributions.
Beyond IRAs, there are a number of ways you can make a difference in Volunteer lives. Please visit https://giving.utk.edu/year-end-giving/ to learn how to make a year-end gift in support of what you love about Rocky Top.
