Professor Urges Support for Loyola Mission
Dr. Nancy Fix Anderson has always been a woman on a mission. She holds degrees from Stanford University, University of California, Irvine and Tulane University. Lucky for us, she was drawn to the strong Jesuit traditions at Loyola—the broad liberal arts curriculum, the focus on social justice and the diversity of interests that the Jesuit priests brought to the university.
"Some were poets, some were scientists," Nancy says. "They just added such richness to the education."
She was hired to teach history, and later participated in the development of the Women's Studies program. It was the first interdisciplinary minor at Loyola, and it has been used as a model for the development of other interdisciplinary minors, including one in Catholic Studies. She also taught English history, women's history and the history of India, and she served as the director of the University Honors Program.
She has written extensively on Victorian history, including three books: Woman Against Women in Victorian England, Lives of Victorian Political Figures: Annie Besant and The Sporting Life: Victorian Sports and Games.
It's clear from her personal accomplishments and commitment to academic excellence that Loyola's Jesuit mission means something to Nancy, who still holds her position as professor emerita of history. She feels strongly about providing the kind of support Loyola needs currently.
"Loyola needs private funding now more than ever," she says. "Loyola must continue its mission of providing a Jesuit education characterized by a rigorous curriculum and a strong built-in support system where students are able to thrive and meet the intellectual challenges offered to them."
That's why in addition to including Loyola in her estate plan, she wants people to know how easy and gratifying it was to make a tax-free distribution straight from her individual retirement account (IRA) to Loyola. This technique is known as the IRA charitable rollover, and the law that allows donors to make tax-free charitable gifts from their IRAs was passed, reinstated and made permanent by Congress and President Obama last December.
As she fondly recalls her years at Loyola, Nancy champions the ease with which these contributions can be made and the impact they can have on a community which promotes the strong bond among faculty, staff and students.
She felt such a strong bond with her students and colleagues, and hopes that others in the future will be able to benefit from the Loyola Jesuit education.
"Without getting too sentimental and emotional, this is what I want others to experience," she says. "I want Loyola to continue its mission."
Nancy will return to New Orleans this summer to teach a session during June's Alumni College, part of the three-day alumni weekend. Though she retired from Loyola in 2006 and now lives in San Antonio, Texas, she says she stays connected and wants others to experience the sense of community she always felt at Loyola.
"What I remember most about Loyola is its sense of community. We were all there for a common purpose," she says. "We set the bar high, but Loyola provided the support needed to help students achieve success. It was a joy to teach at Loyola and to be a part of the Jesuit family."
Because of people like her, that's a promise we can make.
If you would like information on how you can include a gift to Loyola in your estate plans, please contact Kevin Maney at 504-861-5442 or kmaney@loyno.edu.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.