Tuskegee University News Jenkins family designates charitable remainder trust to Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine TUSKEGEE, Ala. (December 9, 2010) — The Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine recently was designated as a beneficiary in a $1.6 million planned gift from Tuskegee alumni Dr. Matthew and Roberta Jenkins. The funds are made available through a remainder unitrust, and the University will receive 50 percent of the net assets at the time of distribution. The couple formed the Matthew and Roberta Jenkins Family Foundation in 1984. It has been responsible for providing a number of scholarships across the country to students, colleges and institutions. Getchel L. Caldwell II, vice president for university advancement, underscored the significance of the gift. "Tuskegee alumni have long heard the call to structure and create planned gifts for their alma mater," he said. "The Jenkins' gift is a sterling example of alumni giving and will serve as another great example of Tuskegee pride." Dr. Tsegaye Habtemariam, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health at Tuskegee, said students will indeed benefit from the gift. "We are very appreciative of the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Jenkins. It truly makes a difference in the lives of our future veterinary medical graduates when our alumni and their families, such as Dr. and Mrs. Jenkins, choose to give back," he said. "As with the other institutions they have supported, their dedication to Tuskegee University will be remembered and honored for years to come." Matthew Jenkins, a former member of the Tuskegee University Board of Trustees, received the doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee in 1957. He has served on several university boards and is currently a member of the California State University Foundation Board. He has received many professional, civic and academic accolades. He is currently the president and CEO of SDD Enterprises, a real estate and property management company that he created with his wife, Roberta. Roberta Jenkins, who received an institutional management degree from Tuskegee, is involved with countless boards, and professional and cultural organizations. A supporter of education, she serves on the boards at Mind Research Institute, Long Beach State University Board of Governors at California State University, and the Board of Visitors for the School of Education at Claremont University. She has received various awards from several organizations over the years. She and her husband, Matthew, are founding members of the Orange County Music Center. The Jenkins currently reside in Long Beach, Calif. They are the parents of three children and have six grandchildren. About Tuskegee University Veterinary Medical School The Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine (TUSVM) historically was established in 1945. TUSVM graduated its first class of fully qualified veterinarians in 1949. Since then, it has graduated more than 70 percent of the black veterinarians in the U.S. TUSVM graduates hold key leadership positions in the government, military, academia and in the international arena. The Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Its Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is also accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information, visit www.onemedicine.tuskegee.edu and www.tuskegee.edu . SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org www.hbculibraries.org 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org Honor the ancestors, honor the children.