Paul Brewer, PhD ’74, has been a donor to Washington University in St. Louis every year since his graduation more than 50 years ago. He does not intend to let anything stop that streak. Anything.
Brewer made unrestricted gifts to the university’s Annual Fund from around the world as his career in academia took him to destinations including Japan, Korea, Greece, Turkey, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Now, he is ensuring this tradition continues after he is gone by making an estate commitment for graduate student support in Arts & Sciences.
“My gifts to the Annual Fund have addressed WashU’s greatest needs,” says Brewer, who resides in Boston. “I leave the specifics of where the money goes up to the university’s good wisdom. And I am fortunate to have the ability to make a planned gift as well. It is important to leave something behind for the institutions that mean the most to me.”
A transformative experience
Brewer, a Houston native who also holds degrees from Rice University and the University of Virginia, entered WashU as a young doctoral student in history in 1968. With the anti-war, women’s, and Civil Rights movements gaining momentum, the era was, in Brewer’s words, a “hot time.”
“I got as much of an education outside the classroom as I did in it during the late 1960s and early 1970s,” Brewer says. “Campus was very active and exciting, to say the least.”
“My gifts to the Annual Fund have addressed WashU’s greatest needs. I leave the specifics of where the money goes up to the university’s good wisdom. And I am fortunate to have the ability to make a planned gift as well. It is important to leave something behind for the institutions that mean the most to me.”
Paul Brewer, PhD ’74
In addition to having a front-row seat to headline-making events, Brewer found meaning in his coursework and connections. University leaders like Ralph E. Morrow, a professor of history and dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and William Nisbet Chambers, a professor of history and political science, mentored Brewer and encouraged his love for higher education. They demonstrated the need to examine issues from all sides, listen to students, and respect differing viewpoints.
“I get emotional when I think about it,” Brewer says. “WashU endowed me with a great foundation — not only the education itself but also the focus on research and teaching. I was able to hone my craft and learned about flexibility, change, and working with people. I took these experiences around the world.”
Teaching history was Brewer’s calling, and he held positions at the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas at El Paso early in his career. In 1977, he began teaching American history and government on U.S. military bases in Asia through what was then the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is now the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). He moved from base to base every eight to 16 weeks wherever his skills were needed. His role expanded to Europe, where he taught accelerated college courses to active-duty service members and their families.
He eventually transitioned to UMUC’s administrative side, where he found a new sense of purpose working with students, overseeing academic programs, and helping nontraditional applicants see themselves as important members of the university community.
The power of increasing access
Because of his background, Brewer values programs that expand students’ horizons. “There is a whole world out there,” he says. “I arrived in Asia in 1977, and I was just awed by what I saw and learned. I still have that fascination, which is why I travel with a vengeance in my retirement. I appreciate that the university encourages and funds study abroad and travel research programs to help students have these eye-opening, life-changing experiences. Annual Fund gifts help make it happen.”
Brewer is also passionate about increasing student access. During his long career at UMUC, Brewer helped open doors for people who may not have been able to attend college without the school’s accessible programs. He believes education should be available to students from all walks of life, and he applauds WashU’s concerted efforts to recruit and retain more rural and lower-income students through initiatives like the WashU Pledge and the Rural Scholars Academy.
“WashU is not just resting on its laurels,” Brewer says. “The university strives for excellence in every area and, to its great credit, continues to expand opportunities for students. As a donor, I am thrilled to help make a world-class education possible for immensely talented students who may not have considered WashU to be an option.”
Make your planned gift
Planned gifts of all sizes ensure that the university will continue to transform lives for generations to come. Will your WashU story include a planned gift?
