WashU alumni Jane Geisse, JD ’84, and Andy Geisse, MBA ’92, always thought the bulk of their charitable giving would focus on scholarships. They believe strongly in the power of education to change lives and previously supported scholarships at WashU as well as the University of Missouri in Columbia, Webster University in St. Louis, and elsewhere.
Then they learned that National Institutes of Health funding was in danger across the country, affecting research enterprises like the Alzheimer’s disease lab run by Randall Bateman, MD, the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine.
After a conversation with Bateman as part of their membership on the San Francisco Regional Cabinet, the Lake Tahoe-based couple made a $100,000 gift to the Alzheimer’s Research Innovation Fund, which provides spendable funding to WashU Medicine’s Department of Neurology.
“You get as much as you give when you remain engaged with WashU. It is such a worthwhile place to support and makes a difference in so many lives.”
Jane Geisse
Their desire to support Alzheimer’s research is personal. In addition to having friends who were formally diagnosed with the disease, Jane suspects both her late mother and grandmother had Alzheimer’s.
“It’s a horrible, debilitating disease,” Andy says. “But even a small gift can make a difference to the research and the potential of making strides toward solutions.”
The Geisses’ gift not only advances the work of Bateman’s lab but also qualifies them for membership in the Danforth Circle of the Eliot Society, which recognizes unrestricted gifts of $25,000 or more to the Annual Fund. They join at the society’s new Chair Level, which requires a minimum contribution of $100,000. Their commitment also bolsters With You: The WashU Campaign.
For the Geisses, however, the recognition is not as important as being able to give back. “You get as much as you give when you remain engaged with WashU,” Jane says. “It is such a worthwhile place to support and makes a difference in so many lives.”
A long history with WashU
Jane and Andy, St. Louis natives who both hold bachelor’s degrees from the University of Missouri, came to WashU for graduate school. They made a deal: Jane would earn her law degree first while Andy worked at Southwestern Bell, now AT&T. Then Andy would quit his job to pursue an MBA while she practiced law. Both eventually graduated from WashU, but their path was not straight.
Jane was already among a small group of female law students when she entered WashU Law in 1981. And she was certainly the only full-time student to have three babies in three years.
“It wasn’t easy, but I finished,” Jane says. “The men in my classes especially loved when I brought the babies, and they would take care of them while I was in class. In those moments, it felt like we were all in it together.”
When Jane graduated, it was ostensibly Andy’s turn to attend graduate school. However, his “temporary” job had since evolved into a full-fledged career that took the family, now with four children, to Houston, Dallas, and back to St. Louis. Determined to earn an advanced degree, Andy entered Olin Business School’s executive MBA program, which allowed him to take classes while working full time. He was also able to take advantage of a program through Southwestern Bell that funded his graduate education.
For years, Jane and Andy had witnessed the life-changing power of scholarships on their high school and undergraduate classmates. And as a student, Andy had personally benefited from tuition assistance. With their graduate degrees in hand, the couple looked forward to being in a financial position to give back to the universities that had given them so much.
Building a legacy
The Geisses believe alumni have a responsibility to uplift the areas of the university that resonate with them. For the couple, these priorities include increasing educational access and advancing Alzheimer’s disease research.
“Since we were students, WashU has become a powerhouse in so many areas, from medicine to research and business,” Andy says. “A university can’t build and improve without support from alumni.”
Eliot Society co-president Susan Warshaw, MSW ’79, is pleased to see donors like the Geisses step up to make a difference. “The generosity of alumni and friends who belong to the Eliot Society makes the work of the university possible,” she says. “Their annual support is an amazing benefit to WashU. Danforth Circle members like Andy and Jane are especially vital, as they make up only 1% of Annual Fund donors but contribute about 36% of the total Annual Fund every year.”
And the Geisses also understand the importance of both endowed and spendable giving. For instance, the Andy and Jane Geisse Endowed Scholarship started life as a $5,000 annual commitment for STEM students. Now, the scholarship is a part of an endowment that will benefit mathematics or engineering students in perpetuity.
But in today’s climate, the couple also sees the value of more flexible funding. “Things change fast, and the university must be able to keep up,” Andy says. The pair recognize that waiting for an endowment payout is not always realistic. Their spendable support of the Alzheimer’s Research Innovation Fund allows Bateman and his team to access resources immediately — which is exactly what the Geisses hoped to achieve. “You want researchers to focus on coming up with solutions, not worrying about funding,” Andy says.
