MACON, GA - Wesleyan College has received the largest bequest in its history: an estate gift of more than $8.6 million from longtime supporters Ronald and Arline Atkins Finch '56.  The $8,660,724.89 gift will advance the transformative SHE WILL Campaign, expand opportunities for students, and strengthen the College's future as Wesleyan approaches its 190th anniversary. 

    The bequest reflects a relationship with Wesleyan that spanned more than seven decades. Arline arrived as a first-year student in 1952 and quickly immersed herself in campus life. During her four years at Wesleyan, she emerged as both a student leader and athlete, serving as president of her sophomore class, earning the title of Miss Wesleyan, and competing on Wesleyan's soccer and basketball teams all four years. She later returned to teach English and served on the College's Board of Trustees, but her connection to Wesleyan extended far beyond the roles she held. She credited Wesleyan with preparing her for life after college, and that experience inspired a lifelong commitment to the institution. Together, she and Ron remained devoted supporters, building a legacy of generosity that will now continue through their estate.

     "Ron and Arline Finch believed deeply in Wesleyan and, most importantly, in the women whose lives are transformed here," said Wesleyan College President Meaghan Blight. "Their extraordinary generosity is both an investment in the Wesleyan of today and the Wesleyan of tomorrow. As we approach our 190th anniversary, I can think of few more meaningful ways to honor their legacy than by ensuring that generations of students will continue to benefit from the opportunities they believed so strongly in creating."

     The Finches' bequest will have an immediate and lasting impact across the College.

     Central to the Finches' legacy will be the Ronald and Arline Finch Scholarship, which will help academically deserving students overcome financial barriers to earning a Wesleyan education. In recognition of their commitment, Wesleyan's merit scholarship for its highest-achieving students will carry the Finch name in perpetuity.

      The bequest also comes at a pivotal moment for Wesleyan Athletics, providing the funding necessary to close the gap on the College's $9 million fundraising goal for the transformation of historic Porter Gymnasium.

     Once complete, the reimagined Porter Gymnasium will provide expanded spaces for competition, recreation, wellness, training and student-athlete development - ultimately creating a facility designed to serve the entire Wesleyan community. A meaningful space within Porter Gymnasium will be named in recognition of the Finches and their role in making the transformation possible.

     The Porter Gym transformation is part of Wesleyan's $61 million SHE WILL Campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in the College's history. Built around three strategic priorities, the campaign represents a bold investment in Wesleyan's future while carrying forward the College's historic mission of educating and empowering women.

• Pursue Her Path expands scholarships, faculty support, student life and leadership opportunities, ensuring students have the resources and experiences to pursue their ambitions.

• Have a Place to Call Home focuses on revitalizing Wesleyan's historic residence halls and communal spaces to best meet the needs of today's students.

• Find Her Voice reimagines leadership and community spaces across campus, including the transformation of Porter Gymnasium, creating places where students can connect, compete, lead and grow.

     The alignment between the SHE WILL Campaign and the Finches' own priorities is particularly meaningful.  The couple's estate executor and longtime representative, Ronald E. Young, recalled that the couple cared deeply about ensuring Wesleyan students had access to financial assistance and about investing in the places students live, learn and gather - most notably Wesleyan's residence halls and Porter Gymnasium.

     Their more than $8.6 million bequest will help carry those priorities forward for a new generation of Wesleyan students.

     "Arline absolutely loved Wesleyan. She felt it prepared her well for life after college; she loved her time as a student, and she never forgot it," said Young.  "She and Ron wanted to make sure that women who wanted to be at Wesleyan, and whom Wesleyan wanted to have here, had the financial assistance to make that possible. Arline continued to care about and support Wesleyan throughout her life.  That is her legacy."

     The impact of the Finches' generosity will also be visible at the heart of Wesleyan's historic campus. The residential quadrangle surrounding the campus fountain will be named in honor of Ronald and Arline Finch to create a permanent reminder of their enduring relationship with the College.

    For Wesleyan, however, the significance of the gift extends well beyond the spaces that will carry their names.

     "Gifts like Ron and Arline's remind us that philanthropy is ultimately about people and the future they believe is possible," Blight said. "Their names will become part of our campus, but their greatest legacy will be found in the students who come to Wesleyan and graduate prepared to lead."