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Northwest Missouri State University


Lasting Legacies

Gaylord '37 and Mercedes Morrison
Gaylord '37 and Mercedes Morrison

"I'm interested in money going to support young men and women who want to become teachers. We chose a gift annuity instead of an outright gift in order to provide us some income for as long as my wife and I are alive, then the remainder of the money can go directly to the purpose we choose. With my wife and I having both been in education for so many years, that is an area close to our hearts."

Gaylord Morrison '37

Gaylord Morrison '37 is a prime example of an educator, farmer and philanthropist. He and his wife, Mercedes, have recently set up their third gift annuity with Northwest to support future educators. Gaylord and Mercedes have fond memories of the Maryville area, having had their first child there when Gaylord was the superintendent in Rock Port.

The couple moved to Colorado in 1951 when Gaylord joined the faculty at the University of Northern Colorado, where he worked for 28 years until his retirement. The couple spent time in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the early 1960s when Gaylord was the director of education research at the University of Dhaka and Mercedes taught in the elementary schools, before moving back to Greeley, Colo. The Morrisons remain in Greeley today - in the same home that Gaylord built when they first moved to Colorado. Now in their 90s, both still are active - Mercedes volunteering at a local hospital and Gaylord tending to crops in the backyard using "my motorized walker…it's called a roto tiller!" Gaylord said.

Thanks to the generosity of the Morrisons, future educators will continue to receive support from these fine Bearcats in Colorado.

A charitable gift annuity is a giving plan that generates income for you today while ensuring a legacy for future generations of Bearcats. A charitable gift annuity provides a fixed return on your gift for the rest of your life.

Consider these advantages:

Contact the Office of University Advancement at (660) 562-1248 to find out about the many advantages of creating a charitable gift annuity.

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