Personal Giving Stories

When Walter Lee Price enrolled in Milligan College in 1931, the phonograph record had just been invented, Herbert Hoover was president and gas was 15 cents a gallon.

Some things, however, don't change. "It is a Christian school; it trains leaders, and it gives them a good education," the retired attorney said. "It still does today."

Both of Walter's parents were Milligan graduates; practically all of his Dad's relatives graduated from the College. "I enjoyed my time at Milligan," said Walter, who attended for two years before leaving for law school at the University of Tennessee. "The best professor I had was Dr. Eyler. He was excellent."

Walter worked as an attorney in Johnson City, Tennessee, for 58 years. He served on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for 16 years and taught the men's class at First Christian Church in Johnson City for half a century.

But the number that makes him proud is 67 years. That's how long his marriage to late wife Esda lasted. The couple met on a blind date and never went out with anyone else after that. They traveled abroad extensively, visiting every continent except Antarctica.

Closer to home, Walter chose to celebrate his ties to Milligan with a charitable gift annuity. "The president of the bank told me about this kind of arrangement," he said. "The bank was paying 2½% and Milligan was paying 11½%, so I took my money and put it in Milligan."

Walter received a charitable income-tax deduction when he established the gift annuity. More important, he receives payments for life. Considering that he is now 94, the gift annuity has proven a shrewd investment.

Walter encourages others to support Milligan. "I've got a soft spot for Milligan," he said. "I like to support the College all I can."

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