Guiding Principles Steer the Southall’s Legacy
Giving
To realize the impact that thoughtful, intentional giving can have on Seattle University, look no further than Rose Southall and her late husband Jack Southall, '55.
Jack graduated from Seatle University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1955. After moving to Seattle to work for The Boeing Company, Rose was introduced to the university through her husband. With degrees in mathematics and computer science, Rose shared Jack's passion in supporting the College of Science and Engineering and Catholic education. Their values intersected perfectly with the mission of SU.
"Jack really appreciated his education there," Rose says. "At the time, he wondered why he had to take philosophy and theology when he was studying mechanical engineering. But during his career at Boeing, he began to see the merit in SU's theme of educating the whole person."
For Rose, the College of Science and Engineering and its Projects Day exemplify how impactful an SU education can be. At Projects Day, teams of students exhibit research and their real-world application of engineering and technical skills, as they tackle problems presented by external partners such as Boeing. Rose and Jack attended many Project Days together. A few years after Jack's passing in 2014, Rose started sponsoring a senior project every year and is very impressed with the quality of work of the students and the mentorship of their professors and sponsoring organizations.
Early in the couple's engagement with the University, Rose and Jack created the Southall Family Loving Trust after attending an estate planning class in 1989, ensuring their legacy would support organizations that live their values including SU. Together, they thoughtfully considered where to allocate their giving. Working with the Planned Giving staff they created a Charitable Remainder Unitrust with Seattle University and Catholic Schools of the Seattle Archdiocese as the beneficiaries. They were happy with the income they were receiving from the trust and created a second Charitable Reminder Unitrust with Seattle University as the sole beneficiary.
When thinking about legacy planning, Rose says it is essential to understand your assets, including insurance policies and IRAs. The SU gift planning team is a great resource to help establish this understanding and can advise on how to maximize the impact of your giving. Along with their legacy gift plans, Rose now creates her own yearly giving plan based on the values she and Jack originally discussed.
"One of my guiding principles for giving is, don't just respond to every ask. Having a giving plan for each year creates intentional giving," Rose says. "We have specific assets going to Seattle U from thoughtful planning over the last 30 years, with the goal to endow a chair or professorship in mechanical engineering."
The Southalls have been members of the Board of Regents and consistent supporters of the mechanical engineering undergraduate research program. Rose's contribution to the most recent capital campaign is recognized in the Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation. The center's Rose Southall Study Room overlooks the Chapel of St. Ignatius, honoring both her academic support and Catholic faith.
In summing up her philosophy for giving that she and Jack shared, Rose says, "What we've spent is gone, what we've kept is lost and what we've given away is ours forever."
