Paul ’65 and Barbara Oppenheim have found giving to Doane to be mutually beneficial on many levels.
For Paul, Doane is a part of his family history that goes back to the 1920s when his grandfather relocated the family to Crete so that his children could all attend Doane. Paul’s mother (as well as her five siblings) attended Doane and his father taught at Doane before the family moved to Chicago when Paul was five.
According to Paul, he was always aware of Doane but never really thought it would be a possibility for him to attend. However, he was admitted and earned an academic scholarship enabling him to follow in his family’s footsteps.
Paul majored in Political Science, was an inaugural member and captain of the wrestling team, and was a member of the band. He was active on campus but his deepest relationships and affinity for Doane were developed through wrestling and his courses with Bob Conner, his wrestling coach and political science instructor.
The Oppenheims have found giving to Doane through their IRA required minimum distribution (RMD) to be a mutually beneficial, efficient way to support Doane. It allows them to make an annual contribution to support the areas that mean the most to them: wrestling and the Doane Fund.
“When we give to Doane, we know where our money is going. It’s a small school, not some vast impersonal charity. I have some personal experience with it and I like to think the money we have given has had some impact on the students and programs,” Paul said. “Students from all backgrounds, from affluent to very challenging, can go to Doane and flourish. That’s what makes small liberal arts colleges like Doane an important educational asset. We can see the impact Doane has on students. We’re happy to be a part of that.”
