Bill Geist Supports Scholarship

Bill Geist ’66 entered McDonogh as a scholarship student in 1961. He immersed himself in the school and worked on campus each summer; the school became his home. He had little contact with McDonogh during the early years after graduation, but that changed when his son Billy started Middle School. Bill re-lived his McDonogh days through his son and now remains connected to the School through his grandchildren. Bill's dedication to the school was recently affirmed by his commitment for an endowed scholarship fund made in honor of his 50th milestone reunion.

What was the motivation behind your 50th Reunion gift?
My McDonogh and West Point classmate, Dick Moser, recruited me to join the 50th Reunion committee and convinced me to contribute $50,000 to our class gift. We discussed how much McDonogh meant to us and decided to make a gift that would really matter. We implemented a plan to raise $500,000 from classmates in the same manner we would carry out an army operation.

How did your gift evolve into to a planned commitment?
While contacting classmates, I was reminded of the line in the McDonogh Uniform: "We give something more than we take." Had I not attended McDonogh, would I have gone to West Point? Had Billy not attended, would he have gone to Harvard? Now, my grandson will graduate from McDonogh in 2021. My commitment rose every time I reflected on the consequences of attending McDonogh, and it went from a one-time gift to a planned commitment for an endowed scholarship fund.

How did you encourage classmates to join you?
I invited Tim Wright ’66 to a scholarship luncheon to meet my assigned student. He attended, and we are now co-sponsors. We invited Ira Cohen, Tom Dance, Tim Farmer, Stuart Kahl, Dick Moser, Tom Turner, Marty Weikert, and Chris White to the last luncheon, and now they are committed or considering sponsorship. If you attend the lunch, it’s hard to overlook the opportunity to "do the greatest possible amount of good." The Class of ’66 Scholarship Fund took on a life of its own, and we plan to ask others to join us for the next lunch with the hopes that they, too, will make planned gifts to the Scholarship Fund.

Describe your experience as a scholarship sponsor?
I’ve been a sponsor for three years and am reminded of my good decision every time I see my student and his parents. He's a young man of character, has incredible consideration for others, and is a heck of a lacrosse player. I bet he will one day lead an effort to establish a Class of ’20 Scholarship Fund.