Bill and Carol Harman Establish a Scholarship at EKU by Blending Annual Giving with a Bequest

Bill and Carol Harman both grew up in Kentucky and attribute their success in life to a combination of hard work, the willingness to take risks, and parents who encouraged them and provided them with opportunities. They met and resided in California for many years but never forgot their Kentucky roots. Though neither attended EKU, they appreciate the university’s importance to the region and how a college degree can change the trajectory of a life.

To provide opportunities for students with limited financial resources in eastern Kentucky, Bill and Carol have made a blended gift to support EKU’s future. 

Through a combination of outright annual giving and a bequest in their will, they established the Russell and Geneva Harman Endowed Scholarship in memory of Bill’s parents. The scholarship provides financial assistance with a preference for graduates of Johnson Central High School.

“Making a gift via our will allows us to retain our money to live on and then make a sizeable gift once we no longer need it,” Bill says. “Part of the reason we chose EKU was the flexibility they provided for our giving that allowed us to make a gift in a way that was important to us.”

Their annual gift is at a level that is comfortable for them and allows them to see the impact of their generosity by learning about and meeting the recipients of their scholarship. 

Now retired and living in Lexington, the Harmans hope others will consider the legacies they could leave to support future EKU students and encourage them to “structure your giving how it works best for you.”