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FOUNDATION
The UMS-Wright Foundation started in June 1991, with an initial investment of $1,490,292, from the sale of the Julius T. Wright campus property on University Blvd.
In 1999, the Foundation expanded with a gift of $2,698,428 from the Babe Wilson Estate.
The UMS-Wright Foundation originally consisted of two Endowments, a General Endowment and a Tuition Endowment. Now, the Foundation consists of five Endowments including endowments for Academics, Athletics, and Named Scholarships.
Presently, there are Seventeen Named Scholarships in the Endowment.
The first distribution to the school occurred in 1993 in the amount of $95,000.
Since 1992, the Foundation has distributed $9,395,403 to UMS-Wright Preparatory School.
UMS-WRIGHT FOUNDATION December 31, 2021 balances:
General Endowment $7,351,821 Tuition Assistance $883,927 Athletic Endowment $294,605 Academic Endowment $2,568,984 Named Scholarship Endowment $3,003,650
Total - $13,852,987
2022-2023 FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS
F. Kinley Bell, Laura Morrissette Clark, Madeline Lyon Downing, Robert M. Hope, Jr., Victor H. Lott, Jr. - President, John S. McClelland, Jr., W. Davis Pilot, Jr., R. Mitchell Shackleford, Marietta Murray Urquhart
Ex Officio Members Paige B. Plash - Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Robert C. Baird, III - Finance Chairman, Board of Trustees, Doug G. Barber - Head of School, Todd Morris - Finance Director
If you would like more information regarding The Wright Legacy Society, please contact Julie Otts in the Advancement Office at 251-470-9039.
UMS-Wright Foundation
The UMS-Wright Foundation was established to recognize those who include the school in their wills or estate plans. Their gift is an important way to help ensure the future strength of our school and enable them to have an impact on UMS-Wright beyond their lifetimes. We appreciate their foresight and extraordinary generosity.
A planned gift to education is one of the most rewarding gifts a donor can make. Planned gifts for the benefit of UMS-Wright Preparatory School from its alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends will assure continuation of the school’s high level of performance and service, and - directly or indirectly - provide a gift of education to the students of UMS-Wright for many years to come. Such gifts are rewarding in a number of ways: they further the mission of the school; for the beneficiaries they make possible greater cultural and educational advancement; for the benefactor they provide significant tax benefits, but more important, they give the satisfaction that comes from contributing to the future through the advancement of education.
NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS
The Mary Edna McCall Scholarship The Honorable Daniel T. McCall, Jr. Scholarship The Jay White-Spunner Awards The Edward Chesley Greene, Sr. Scholarship The Edward C. Greene, Jr. Memorial Scholarship The Lyon Newell Memorial Scholarship The Elizabeth Worley Haffner Memorial Scholarship The Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Thurber, Jr. Scholarship The Krisanna Elisabeth Roberts Scholarship The Waitsell Shawn Stillwell Scholarship The Eddie Holmes Legacy Scholarship The Henri McMillan Aldridge Award The William Alexander Lewis Mitchell Memorial Scholarship The Michael George Scott Scholarship The Paul D. (Bubba) and Mary Ann B. Murray Family Scholarship The David Miller Award The J. R. "Ronnie" Cross Bulldog Award**
NAMED AWARDS
The Valerie Hines Memorial Great Teammate Award The Anna Kate Wilkerson Spirit Award* The Ellie Tanner Award**
*Denotes new in 2021-2022 ** Denotes new in 2022-2023
On February 16, 2022; UMS-Wright and the City of Mobile lost a devoted, visionary leader, Gilbert Russell Ladd, III. Russell led a life that positively affected those who knew him as well as many others who did not know him but benefitted from his influence and charitable nature. Fortunately, UMS and UMS-Wright were the focus of much of his energy and involvement for more than a half century.
Russell Ladd was an intelligent, informed gentleman who was impressive in a formal setting and delightful in more relaxed surroundings. He earned the distinction of Valedictorian of the UMS Class of 1953 which contained
Gilbert Russell Ladd, III
other impressive men who would, during their lifetimes, make significant contributions to numerous professions and communities. After high school, Russell would attend Washington and Lee which would, like UMS, receive his lifelong devotion. Fittingly, one of Russell’s most meaningful gestures was to present a Washington and Lee buckeye to someone who had just taken a new job or faced a new challenge in life so that touching the buckeye would transfer good fortune to its owner. Today, many of these buckeyes occupy a special place in the offices of their recipients. Being a child during World War II and a teenager during its aftermath, Russell developed character and values that were shaped by this defining period in American history. Forthrightness, honor, and integrity were qualities which guided each decision that Russell Ladd made both personally and professionally. Consequently, he became an effective, respected businessman and a valuable civic leader. Many of Mobile’s most important volunteer organizations and nonprofits were more successful because of Russell Ladd’s generosity and commitment to their missions, and UMS-Wright’s growth and stability have been profoundly affected by the vision, leadership, and judgment of this classic servant-leader.
From the perspective of multiple generations of UMS, JTW, and UMSWright graduates; Russell Ladd was one of the most significant leaders in the distinguished history of Dr. Wright’s schools. Obviously, his dear wife Kay, and their three sons; Gilbert IV, Banks, and Allen; have also contributed mightily to UMS-Wright’s success. In particular, Russell’s vision and judgment enabled him to lead the school through the two most defining, yet potentially disruptive, changes in school history: the transition from University Military School to UMS Preparatory School and the merger of JTW and UMS. During the first change, Russell was the Chairman of the UMS Board of Trustees; as a result, he became the primary target for those who opposed the decision. He took on the “slings and arrows” with great resolve because, as always, he had the strength of his convictions to sustain him. During the merger, he was one of a group of uniquely skilled individuals who led UMS-Wright during its challenging early years. In each instance, this man was on the right side of the decisions which helped make UMS-Wright the outstanding, stable institution that it is today.
One of Russell’s personal goals for UMS-Wright was for the school to have an endowment that would ensure its financial future. Prior to the merger, both JTW and UMS were in a position in which the yearly goal was to survive, not grow. As the first President of the UMS-Wright Foundation, Russell helped this asset expand in a manner and to a degree that earlier trustees could only have envied. He led the Foundation Board through its early years of existence, and upon his retirement, continued to support the Foundation generously throughout his life. This memorial article is to honor the numerous contributions that Russell Ladd made to our school, but in particular, his impact on the UMS-Wright Foundation which has been transformative for his beloved school. This great contribution will benefit generations of students and families who comprise the school community. We all owe Russell Ladd our sincere gratitude and eternal admiration.
