Peter ’61 and Lynne (Rollins) ’61 Morgan have thoughtfully included Bethany College in their estate plans, a meaningful gesture that reflects their lifelong connection to the College. In April of 2025, Peter visited with Major Gifts Officer Deno Emili ‘78 about their gift.
Deno: Peter, first, I wanted to thank you and Lynne for your generosity. Our alumni are the heart and soul of Bethany College, and you and Lynne certainly exemplify this spirit. Let’s begin with a simple yet complex question about your gift. It’s a question of the heart. “Why?”
Peter: Deno, it’s good to discuss matters of the heart with you. Bethany College is a matter of the heart for Lynne and me. We first fell in love at Bethany in 1958, but the answer to your “why” question goes back much earlier.
In 1881, a young schoolteacher enrolled in Bethany to study in order to be a Disciples of Christ minister. His name is E. E. Manley, and he is my great grandfather. His gracious and precious life is much greater than his lifespan from 1858 to 1949. His influence has been kept alive because there has been a Bethany-educated Disciples minister in our family from 1881 and it continues now 144 years later!
Another moment in the story that answers the “why” question occurred in 1949. E.E.’s granddaughter, Mildred, cut a hole in the lid of a mason jar and gave it to her son saying, “Today, you will start receiving an allowance of one dollar a month. The first dime of each dollar goes into this jar and is to be given to the church. Each month when you put that dime into the mason jar, remember you do not own one cent of that dollar. It all belongs to God, and God is trusting you to manage it all. Save some; share some; use some for necessities; and enjoy some. But in each case, spend God’s money in ways that will please him.” I am E.E.’s great grandson and Mildred’s son. Their lives are too precious a gift to be completed in one lifetime. E.E., Mildred, and Peter were given the gift of life that is part of something greater than they are. That’s my answer to the big question “why!”
Deno: Let’s move from “why” to “what.” What prompted your decision to include Bethany College in your estate planning?
Peter: The story of E.E., Mildred, and Peter continues to 2004, the year Lynne and I retired. It was a time of reflection—gratitude for the past, planning for the future, a future that could not be contained by the mere number of years of our lives.
What is it worth to us to receive a top-level liberal arts education in a bucolic setting where I could walk in the footsteps of my historic hero Alexander Campbell—and what it is worth to us that in that setting, we first discovered the magic of falling in love? When the answer is “everything,” you must do something! You enrich Bethany College with your estate. So, two things prompt our gift. One is gratitude for the gift of Bethany College which has formed and touched our lives in significant ways and two, a belief that our lives are not limited to our lifetime.
Deno: What would you say to others about the “why” and “what” questions?
Peter: In my imagination, I turn that question over to E.E. He was known as an excellent preacher. I imagine him in the pulpit addressing your question. “Your life is a precious gift that cannot be contained in sixty or eighty or one hundred years. Examine your hearts and find in there your gratitude for Bethany College and all the gifts it has given you. Take a moment to savor the gratitude you feel. Then, contact Bethany College to discuss your estate plans – for in your gift to Bethany, you are part of something greater than you are. You live on in your gift.”
Deno: Peter, let me close by again thanking Lynne and you for your generosity and thoughtfulness. Your family’s legacy, spanning nearly 150 years, is the type of testimonial which makes our dear alma mater so special.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2025 edition of “Bethany Today Magazine.” Explore the full issue for more stories that celebrate the Bethany community.
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