After Don Martin graduated from Bessemer High School in 1967, he eagerly headed off to Jacksonville State University to begin his college career. According to Don, "I became a business major and was very involved in campus life, serving as president of the freshman class and a member of the Student Government Association, among others.
"Early on, I noticed that JSU students came from families which valued a good work ethic so they studied hard at the University. I think that's why so many JSU graduates have been so successful in life," he says.
After graduating in 1971, Don headed to Chicago to start his career, eventually landing in Atlanta where he was advertising manager for Southern Living magazine for many years before starting his own successful real estate business.
Don's wife of more than 40 years, Margaret Ann, was a graduate of the University of Georgia and owned an advertising agency, also in Atlanta. Recently, they retired so they could travel and enjoy their homes in Atlanta; Cashiers, North Carolina; and St. Simons Island in Georgia. He says, "Now we have the best of all worlds—the city, the mountains and the beach."
Throughout the years, the Martins remained involved in their respective universities. Says Don, "Whenever possible we attended both home and away JSU football games. In fact, we're now season suite holders for Gamecock games and attend many athletics functions since we're only an hour and a half from campus. I'm proud to say that I actually started the Atlanta Alumni Association more than 20 years ago."
He is a longtime member of the JSU Foundation Board Executive Committee, serving as President 10 years ago. He has made many great friends on the board and says that at least one half are former classmates.
It is his association with the JSU Foundation that caused him to start thinking about helping students financially through scholarships. "One of our goals as alumni should be to help our students so that they can graduate debt free or almost debt free," he says.
The couple endowed the Don and Margaret Ann Martin Scholarship and have enjoyed meeting their scholarship recipients at the Founder's Day Scholarship Luncheon, which Don helped to start. "The event has been wildly successful. Donors were doubling and tripling their gifts to scholarships. If others were able to hear the student stories, it would be hard for them to resist giving, as well," Don adds.
He wants others to know that there are multiple ways to help with scholarship support. One method is an IRA contribution. "After you turn 70½, you can donate from your IRA and the original principal gift is never taxable to you. As luck would have it, I heard from Earl Warren, JSU Director of University Development, about an IRA contribution a few days after I turned 70½ and that's what I chose to do."
The result was establishment of the second Don and Margaret Ann Martin Scholarship. "We don't think of our giving as a one-time opportunity. We view it as perpetual giving and I'm sure that we will set up a third and a fourth scholarship as well," he says.
Don hopes others will establish scholarships, as he and Margaret Ann have done. "I invite other alums to join us at the next Founder's Day Scholarship Luncheon. The students say that they look forward to the day when they can start their careers and give back as we have. If you could see the gratitude of these wonderful kids, you would think it was the best money you ever spent."
To learn more about the many ways you, like the Martins, can help JSU students achieve their dreams, contact Kim Dalesandro '98/'18 at kdalesandro@jsu.edu or 256-782-5606.