Conner Searcy speaks to students in the managerial studies program.

“When we got the news of the no-loan program, we said ‘That’s it. That is the cause’—the most important thing that Vanderbilt has done since we’ve been involved with the school,” says Conner Searcy, BA’96. That’s when the couple decided to endow a need-based scholarship in the College of Arts and Science as a way of sharing their success and in hope that their gift will influence the recipients and fellow alumni to do the same and “pay it forward.”

As high school students in adjacent states in the great American Southwest, Conner and Ginny could hardly foresee that their futures and fortunes would intertwine in the Southeast, surrounded by the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee and under the oak trees of Vanderbilt University. They came by different roads, found common ground, and set out on a journey of success that they now share with those that come behind.

Right from the Start

Virginia “Ginny” Buxton, BA’96, hailed from a small town in Oklahoma, where almost no one left to go away to college. “My cousin was at Vanderbilt a few years ahead of me,” she recounts. “When I was looking for colleges, I looked only at a couple of schools with a focus on math, science and a great liberal arts program—far from home, but not too far from home. I went to visit Vanderbilt and was sold the minute I stepped on campus. I applied for early decision.”

Conner Searcy grew up in Houston, raised by a single working mother. He has a sister who is disabled, and things were tough financially. He was able to attend private schools through financial aid and scholarships, experiences that changed his life for the better. When it came time for college, he knew he wanted a school below the Mason-Dixon Line. “I actually had my heart set on going to Duke,” Conner admits. “I wanted to go to a great academic institution with a good social atmosphere. I visited Duke and then visited Vanderbilt right after that, and said, ‘You know, I think Vanderbilt works for me.’ That’s when I applied for early decision. Vanderbilt’s the only school I applied to, and I was fortunate to receive an academic scholarship.”

They met the year Ginny was a sophomore and Conner, a freshman. Ginny majored in biology before going on to earn a master’s degree in public health administration at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Conner focused his studies on economics. After four years in the workforce in Dallas and marriage, they moved to Boston where Conner earned a master of business degree at Harvard. “I knew I wanted to get my MBA and return to the private equity business,” he says. “I was working in that field when I applied.”

Ginny says they loved the adventure of being in Boston. “Nashville was sort of my first adventure out of Oklahoma, and being in Boston was great for us. We were already married when we went, and it was great to be away on our own for a while,” she says. “Our first year, I told Conner we should stay and make Boston our home. We had a very mild first winter. Then we had a very strenuous second winter—the snow never stopped. We were glad to get back to Texas after that.”

The Searcys—Ginny and Conner, with children Brooks, Will and Ellie.

Family and Travel

Life in Texas is full and active. Ginny found success first in hospital administration and now as the mother of their three children: Will, 4; Brooks, 3; and Ellie, 2. Conner is a triathlete and completed his first Ironman last September. That helps keep him in condition for his day job. “We’re a private equity firm that buys companies in some form of distress with the idea of turning them around and ultimately selling them. Looking at new opportunities and visiting our portfolio companies requires a lot of travel,” he says. “I try to make everything a day trip. I’ve made day trips to New York and Boston. I try not to spend the night anywhere away from home when I can avoid it. Although a day trip to Boston is awfully tough.” 

One day trip Conner makes on a regular basis is back to the College of Arts and Science, where he shares his business experience as a guest lecturer for the managerial studies program. “Ginny and I fundamentally believe that if you’re as fortunate as we have been, and have been afforded the things we’ve been afforded in our lives, we need to pay it forward,” he says.

The Searcy commitment to pay it forward is evident in their community activities as well. Among Ginny’s favorites are the Dallas Child Advocacy Center, Episcopal School of Dallas, Children’s Medical Center and Dallas Museum of Art. “Most of the things we do center on children and education,” Conner says.

Catalyst for the Future

When they learned of Vanderbilt’s commitment to no need-based loans for undergraduates, the couple was moved to become personally involved. “It’s an incredibly noble cause that students not have to worry about paying off a mountain of debt for the rest of their lives,” Conner says. “I firmly think that this is the catalyst that the school leaders have been looking for the last 50 years, and it’ll make Vanderbilt stronger and one of the top-10 academic institutions in the country. This is going to draw in better students and better professors.”

Both their mothers are teachers, Ginny says, and instilled in their children the need to seek out the best opportunities possible and to make them available to those who might not be as fortunate. “In terms of philanthropy, Conner and I thought, ‘we’re now fortunate enough to be in a place where we can start to give back.’ We want to set an example for our friends who may not have started thinking about how—or the vehicles for—giving back.”

Recently, the Searcys hosted a lunch to introduce some of their Vanderbilt friends to Dean Carolyn Dever. “We have a big contingency here in Dallas, and we keep in touch on a regular basis,” Conner says. “Our goal was to invite some of our friends to a luncheon where we could pitch them on giving to the scholarship fund.” He says that their friends love the fact that Vanderbilt is helping students with debt, and that they themselves can help. “Now it’s our job, Ginny and I, whether other folks turn that into giving back,” he says. “We’re working on that.”

Cows and crops dominated the area that is now Brentwood, Tenn. In the 1930s, the way of life was rural and times were hard. For a farm girl from Brentwood, attending the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt was a life-changing experience. When it changed Dorothy N. Niederhauser Wallman, BA’39, it started a legacy that continues changing lives today.

From left, Richard Wallman, BE’72, and Amy Wallman meet with scholars past and present Jessica Lewis, BA’03, EdD’07; junior Naila Wahid; and senior Bittu Majmudar.

“Going to Vanderbilt gave my mother confidence and a sense of accomplishment. She was happy I went there,” says Richard Wallman, BE’72. “When I got into graduate school at the University of Chicago, she wasn’t nearly as impressed as when I enrolled at Vanderbilt.” 

Fred Niederhauser, Dorothy’s father, was a farmer who worked to send his four daughters to college. Sisters Helen Niederhauser Parker, ’40, Irma Louise Niederhauser Keisling, BA’41, and Freddie Ann Niederhauser Phillips, BA’51, all followed Richard’s mother, Dorothy, a French and English major, to the College of Arts and Science. 

“Richard’s mother would volunteer every year at registration,” says Richard’s wife, Amy Wallman,  formerly a partner with Ernst & Young. “Vanderbilt was the only school she ever talked about. She had a deep love for the institution.” 

In honor of her love, Amy and Richard established the Dorothy N. and Dick H. Wallman Scholarship. It now is the first of five, need-based, full-tuition scholarships for women in the College of Arts and Science endowed by the Wallmans.

“The scholarships are our way of making a difference in the lives of bright, motivated young women,” says Richard, former chief financial officer of Honeywell International and a new member of the Board of Visitors for the College of Arts and Science.

What a Difference

Jessica King Lewis, BA’03, EdD’07, was the first to receive a Wallman scholarship. “Without the undergraduate scholarship, it would have limited what I could have done in graduate school and maybe caused me to reconsider going at all,” says Lewis, who majored in Spanish and sociology in the College of Arts and Science. Currently a research associate with Peabody’s Center on Performance Incentives, she says she knows tuition debt can limit students’ options.

The Wallmans do more than provide financial support, important as that is. “When I was an undergraduate, Mr. Wallman e-mailed me and wanted to hear how I was doing,” says former recipient Ashley Long, BA’06. “Sometimes, when things weren’t going well, getting a great e-mail from him gave me the encouragement I needed.”

Now a student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Long says the Wallmans have continued to be friends, supporters and encouragers. “If I hadn’t gotten the Wallman scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to go to Vanderbilt,” she says frankly.

The relationship between Wallman scholars and the donors is a strong one. As scholarship recipients are chosen, the couple connects with them, eager to hear about their studies, struggles and successes. Each year, Amy and Richard attend a luncheon with their Arts and Science scholars and hear about the young women’s achievements and evolving lives. 

Current scholarship recipient Bittu Majmudar values that connection. “I love the way the Wallmans care about their scholarship recipients,” the senior says. “It’s been a real bonus having the Wallmans on my side. I think of them as my second parents.” Majmudar says that without the scholarship, she would have gone to a state university. Today she’s majoring in neuroscience with dual minors in biology and psychology with the goal of becoming a physician.  

Worthwhile Investments

Amy and Richard Wallman say that when they were in graduate school, the financial aid they received was important to their ability to stay focused on academic success and on cultivating their professional lives. They have chosen to reciprocate by giving a leg up to young women who might otherwise be unable to attend Dorothy Wallman’s beloved institution.

“Vanderbilt is a wonderful school,” Richard says. “I got a good education and learned how to solve problems there. The College of Arts and Science scholarships are our way of doing our part to help keep it a terrific school. Even if you’re not in a position to endow a scholarship, just giving $1,000 or $500 can be a big help to a student who is struggling. Any investment is worthwhile and the payout can be high.”

In 2004, Amy and Richard endowed the Cleo and Fred Niederhauser Scholarship to honor his maternal grandparents.

To commemorate Richard’s 35th Vanderbilt reunion, the couple is endowing three more scholarships in the College of Arts and Science: the Irma Louise Niederhauser and Claude J. Keisling Scholarship in memory of his aunt and uncle, the Eva and Henry Wallman Scholarship in memory of his paternal grandparents, and the Edith and Roy Witte Scholarship in memory of his great-aunt and great-uncle.

The Legacy Continues

The Wallmans say the scholarships pay off twofold. They enable students to receive an outstanding liberal arts education at a top university. At the same time, they create a legacy of generosity that encourages the recipients to also be generous with their time and money and to help others.

“Endowing scholarships is truly the gift that keeps on giving,” says Richard. “Every recipient has said how grateful they are, and that they want to give back when they have the means, whether it is money or volunteerism.”

Lewis concurs, but sees even more worth. “The value of the scholarship isn’t just the money, it’s also the relationship I’ve built with the Wallmans over the years,” the young researcher says. “They are a good reminder of why it’s important to give back. They’re busy, successful professionals. Yet they find the time and resources to help others. I’m looking forward to being at a point where I can help others in the same way the Wallmans have helped me.”

J. Thomas Bentley, BA’71, has included the College of Arts and Science in his estate plans. His $1 million bequest will endow the J. Thomas Bentley Scholarship Fund.

Cecil D. Conlee, BA’58, a member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and the College of Arts and Science Board of Visitors, has made an additional commitment of $500,000 to support the Cecil D. Conlee Scholarship in the College of Arts and Science. The new gift is in honor of his upcoming 50th reunion. Conlee also serves as the Reunion Weekend chair for the Class of 1958.

Carol Riddick and Frank Riddick III, BA’78, made a $750,000 commitment to endow the Riddick Family Scholarship in the College of Arts and Science. The gift is in honor of Frank Riddick’s upcoming 30th reunion.

Amy and Richard Wallman, BE’73, have made a commitment to the College of Arts and Science to endow three new, permanent scholarships to commemorate Richard Wallman’s upcoming 35th reunion. The Irma Louise and Claude J. Keisling Scholarship is in memory of his aunt, Irma Louise Niederhauser Keisling, BA’41, and her husband, Claude. The Eva and Henry Wallman Scholarship will be named for Richard’s paternal grandparents and the Edith and Roy Witte Scholarship will be named for his great-aunt and great-uncle. The Wallmans previously established the Dorothy N. and Dick H. Wallman Scholarship and the Cleo and Fred Niederhauser Scholarship in honor of his parents and maternal grandparents.

Barbara Burroughs Wilson, BA’58, and J. Lawrence “Larry” Wilson, BE’58, have made a $600,000 gift to endow the Barbara B. and J. Lawrence Wilson Scholarship in the College of Arts and Science in honor of their upcoming 50th reunion. They previously established a scholarship of the same name, the Barbara and J. Lawrence Wilson Scholarship, in the School of Engineering. Larry is a member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and Barbara serves on the Board of Visitors for the College of Arts and Science. The Wilsons are fundraising chairs for the Class of 1958.

For Cynthia “Cindy” Greener Edelman, BA’74, her Vanderbilt experience provided a good education and special connections.

Cindy and a roommate spent the summer between junior and senior years helping with freshman orientation. They decided to learn to cook and planned elaborate meals for interesting guests.
“We invited everybody from Chancellor (Alexander) Heard to the provost to our favorite political science professor. That was one of the most fun summers of our lives,” she recalls. “We were having the full experience of getting to know special people. They didn’t seem to mind that it was a meal cooked in Carmichael Towers.”

Special connections to the university have kept her involved with Vanderbilt in the years since. Along the way, Cindy and her husband, Dan, developed an interest in Jewish studies at the university and supported the then-under-construction Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life. In 2005, they decided to endow a chair in Jewish studies and name it for Cindy’s attorney father, Eugene Greener Jr., BA’42. 

David Wasserstein, Cindy Edelman and Dan Edelman celebrate Wasserstein’s installation as the first Eugene Greener Jr. Chair in Jewish Studies.

“We saw it as a way of giving back and supporting the Jewish experience,” Cindy says. “We recognize the importance and value of learning. We saw—and certainly Vanderbilt pointed that out to us, they recognized—a need for this chair.” 

Endowed chairs are a centuries-old tradition in higher education, signifying that the holder leads in scholarly achievement, distinction, discovery, and teaching. They also assist universities in attracting and retaining outstanding faculty. An endowed chair or professorship links exceptional accomplishment with the name of the chair, creating a lasting legacy for the donor or honoree. 

“It was something that struck a chord with us,” Cindy says. “We saw it as a way of honoring our father.” The chair had not yet been established when another connection occurred. 

Giving Thanks

David Wasserstein, a noted expert in medieval Islamic and Jewish topics, moved to Vanderbilt as a professor. Cindy thought that, with his scholarly interests, he and her father should meet each other. The family was getting together for Thanksgiving and planned to tell Eugene Greener of the chair his children were establishing in his name. Since the British-raised Wasserstein had never celebrated an American Thanksgiving, Cindy’s sister, Patrice “Patty” Greener Marks, BA’76, invited him to the Thanksgiving meal at her Nashville home. 

“You never knew whether they would hit it off in their conversation or not at all. Mr. Greener was the type that if he liked you, he’d let you know, and if he didn’t, he probably let you know that too,” Dan says. 

At the Thanksgiving celebration, Greener and Wasserstein holed up in a separate room to talk. “They’re similar. My father had a very outstanding academic career at Vanderbilt and went to Harvard Law,” Cindy says. “They really had a connection, which was so nice to see.”

Their meeting was poignant because Greener suffered a stroke the next year and died before the chair was officially established. On the very day Greener passed away, Wasserstein received official notice that he had been named the Eugene Greener Jr. Professor of Jewish Studies.

“When Dad passed away, the funeral was in Memphis, but they hadn’t lived there in a long time. So at the funeral, most of the people who were there were family friends and people from the legal community and I didn’t really know all the people who had come,” Cindy says. “I looked up and saw this face that looked familiar to me. I assumed it was one of Dad’s lawyer friends. I went up to speak to the gentleman. It was David Wasserstein, who had driven in to attend Dad’s funeral. I was so touched by that gesture.”

Wasserstein followed with a note that talked of the deep impression that meeting Greener had had on him, leaving the scholar “with the feeling that I had met a perfect example both of what made this country great and of how and why Jews have been so successful here. Hard work; modesty; love of family; devotion to tradition, country and people; and more, all were visible in him,” Wasserstein wrote. “His reaction when you told him about the chair here at Vanderbilt spoke volumes about him and makes me all the prouder to be the first holder of a chair that bears his name.”

Family Connection Continues On

It was her father’s connection to Vanderbilt that drew Cindy to begin with. A proud alumnus, Greener made sure his daughters were introduced to the interesting people that he met through the university. A family vacation centered on his trip to his 25th reunion, and his three daughters visited the campus. “I always wanted to go there, but there was no pressure from him that loomed over us,” Cindy recalls. Whatever he did worked. Cindy and Patty both graduated from Vanderbilt.

Through the years and in many ways, Cindy has continued her father’s role as supporter of Vanderbilt. She enthusiastically promotes her own Vanderbilt experience in her career as an art history teacher at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla. While she was unable to persuade her two daughters to attend Vanderbilt, stepson Zachary “saw the light” and will be a freshman in the College of Arts and Science in the fall.

Cindy often thinks back to that Thanksgiving meal, and how significant it was that her father and the scholar who would one day hold the chair named for him were able to get to know each other. “It was marvelous that they got to meet,” she says, noting that the Eugene Greener Jr. Chair in Jewish Studies will always connect her family to the university. In endowing it, she says, “We felt as though that would be an important investment in the future of Vanderbilt as a family.”

Photo by Rusty Russell.