Terry H. Elkiss ’69 always felt that Wayne State University was pivotal in his family’s life history. His parents, Harry and Belle Elkiss, met and fell in love as students in what was then known as the College of Pharmacy.

Terry himself enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and earned an undergraduate degree in political science and history. He went on to a successful, multifaceted career as a teacher, historian, Africanist and editor. But it was the wonderful stories that Harry and Belle shared with their only child about their time as students at Wayne State that inspired Terry to create a legacy at their shared alma mater.

Having lost Belle and Harry in 2006 and 2009 respectively, Terry wanted to create a lasting memorial to his parents. The Harry and Belle Elkiss Annual Scholarship in Pharmacy, supported by an annual gift from Terry, was established in 2010. He also has arranged a generous estate gift to fund an endowed scholarship in perpetuity for Wayne State pharmacy students.

“My parents were children of families that struggled during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and Wayne State provided them with an opportunity to achieve fulfilling lives that were largely dedicated to public service,” Terry says. “By creating these scholarships, I am helping to provide a meaningful and lasting link between their fine education and their successful careers in pharmacy. This is really my parents’ contribution to Wayne State.”

Like Terry, you can create a legacy at Wayne State in honor of a loved one while helping future students achieve their goals. To learn more, contact the Office of Planned Giving at (313) 577-6481 or PlannedGifts@wayne.edu.