You Can’t Take It with You

Couple Donates MU Memorabilia and Funds Scholarships

At 16 years old, Ron Freiburghaus already knew he would be a Tiger. So when a friend spotted a vintage jersey at an estate sale, Ron got a call. Did he want to buy the old thing?

That jersey—the only known uniform from the University of Missouri’s first football team in 1890—now sits in the University Archives.

“It was worn by Charles A. Keith,” Ron says. “Not just one of the members of the team, but a star player too.”

It’s a piece of MU history and hardly the only one the Freiburghauses have collected over the years. In what they affectionately call their “MU Room,” Ron and his wife Mary display all sorts of MU memorabilia—including a 1911 program from the very first homecoming game against the Jayhawks.

“But you can’t take it with you,” Ron says.

And so, as part of their estate plan, the contents of the MU Room will one day find a home with the university as well.

The Freiburghauses have bled black and gold their whole lives. In addition to decades of service to MU—Ron as a development director with the college of education and Mary with 35 years as an advanced practice nurse—they’re avid Tiger fans with season tickets to football, softball, and basketball (both men’s and women’s). That's not to mention the four MU degrees they hold combined.

So when it came time to consider their will, they knew MU needed to be part of their legacy. A call to the university’s Office of Gift Planning helped focus their plans.

“They did a wonderful job talking us through the possibilities and what all our options were,” says Ron. “It was a very meaningful experience.”

Mary’s scholarship fund through the Sinclair School of Nursing will prioritize non-traditional students from Ste. Genevieve, her hometown, or Boone County, her current home.

“I was a non-traditional student,” Mary says. “So for me, it was important to look out for others that also didn’t go straight to college after high school.”

Meanwhile, Ron’s gift will go toward his own scholarship, benefiting the college of arts and science.

“I was involved in lots of campus clubs, so I’d like to help a student that’s similar,” he says, “one that’s engaged and active in student life.”

Thanks to the involvement of MU’s gift planning team, they’re confident in how their wishes will eventually be executed. For now, though, they’re happy to continue supporting MU in their favorite way—by cheering from the stands.

“It’s an entirely painless way to make a difference,” Ron says. “Like I said, you can’t take it with you.”

To learn how you can become a partner in MU’s future and support students in a way that reflects your passion and leaves a legacy, contact The Office of Gift Planning at 1-800-970-9977 or 573-882-0272 or giftplanning@missouri.edu.