TRUSTEE TRIBUTES

M.L. “Beezer” Johnson ’52

4/3/1928 – 4/2/2023

Franklin, Ind.

Johnson held a bachelor’s degree in biology and Spanish, and was a U.S. Navy veteran. His lifetime included occupations as far-ranging as ice and pizza delivery to leadership with Eli Lilly and Co. and the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. His memberships included Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Franklin Kiwanis Club and the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. Further, he was a former Franklin College trustee, past president of the Alumni Council and faithful Franklin Fund supporter. He was preceded in death by his spouse, Mary Lou. Survivors include their daughter, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The Horizon Society recognizes individuals for including Franklin College in their documented estate plans. The Heritage Society recognizes individuals for extraordinary lifetime giving both to the Franklin Fund and to specific projects that may include deferred gifts (appropriately documented) and gifts in kind.

Yolanda M. Askew ’90

9/11/1968–5/27/2023

Jamaica, N.Y.

Askew held a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a Master of Science in city and regional planning from the Pratt Institute. She served as the director of sales fulfillment and special projects at NBCUniversal Media, a company she joined in 2007. Most recently, she was part of the sales and marketing team for WNBC, where she was entrenched in committee leadership and program advisory roles guiding corporate philanthropy and community initiatives. Further, she was co-founder of NBCUniversal’s Young Professional Academy, which pairs employee-mentors with students of color who attend public boys’ high schools serving the boroughs of New York City and Newark, New Jersey. It is noteworthy that Askew was a founding member and later president of the Student Association for Support of Minorities (SASOM) at Franklin College in the ’90s. She also was a Resident Assistant and member of the Student Entertainment Board (SEB) and International Club, all experiences that helped shape the leadership skills instrumental throughout her career. In 2021, Askew received the Franklin College Distinguished Alumni Award for representing her career field and alma mater impeccably well. Later the same year, she was elected a Franklin College Trustee. Faith and family were central to her life.