Ohio Wesleyan Receives $1 Million Estate Gift from 1931 Alumnus, Wife
Junius F. Allen
DELAWARE, OHIO – Ohio Wesleyan University has received a $1 million estate gift from 1931 alumnus Junius F. Allen and his wife, Zella I. Allen, of Sarasota, Fla. Their gift will be used to support the university endowment.
Junius Allen was an economics major at Ohio Wesleyan and a former director and executive vice president for international operations for Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Co. He died in 2005. Zella Allen died in October 2011.
During their lifetime, the couple contributed more than $440,000 to Ohio Wesleyan, including the creation of an endowed scholarship fund to benefit minority students who demonstrate a strong potential for leadership and have financial need.
Junius Allen’s sister, Mary Margaret Allen, also graduated from Ohio Wesleyan and also created a scholarship fund to assist students attending her alma mater. She was a 1930 OWU graduate and a sociology/anthropology major. Her endowed scholarship benefits students with strong academic records and financial need.
Junius and Zella Allen also were members of Ohio Wesleyan’s Tower Society, which recognizes people who make estate gifts to the university. The couple was married on Valentine’s Day in 1935 and had one son, James M. Allen, who died in 2005.
“Junius and Zella Allen were committed to helping future students secure Ohio Wesleyan educations,” said Rock Jones, Ph.D., university president. “They were lifelong supporters of Ohio Wesleyan, having seen the meaningful impact of the OWU experience for both Junius and his sister. To have a couple create both an endowed scholarship and leave such a generous estate gift is an honor. It affirms the work we do here every day to educate the next generation of global leaders.”
Learn more about making an estate gift or other contribution to Ohio Wesleyan.
Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.