BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The IAA Foundation will award more scholarships and research grants, thanks to the newly established Harris-Thomas endowment.
As part of a planned farm gift from Jacqueline Thomas, the $1.1 million fund supports students with an interest in advancing agriculture.
“A gift of this magnitude allows the Harris-Thomas legacy to bring transformational opportunities to our charitable work,” said Susan Moore, IAA Foundation director. “We are forever humbled by this blessing Jackie gave for us to help others, and our agricultural industry, in her family name.”
Born in rural Saline County in 1925, Jacqueline was raised on the family farm, attended Southern Illinois University and became a home economics teacher. In 1965, she met and married Frank.
For 31 years, Jacqueline served as the Macoupin County Home Extension Home Advisor while her husband managed Saline, Lake and then Madison County Farm Bureaus for nearly 30 years. Frank, a decorated WWII veteran, passed in August 2004, and Jacqueline passed in January 2018.
The Harris-Thomas Endowment honors the legacy left behind by Jacqueline and Frank, as well as Jacqueline Thomas’ parents, Ewell and Josephine Harris.
Her father, Ewell, was a founding member of the Saline County Farm Bureau and an avid conservationist. Her mother, Josephine, of French descent, inspired Jacqueline’s love for cooking.
In honor of their shared passion for agriculture and education, Jacqueline designated assets of her estate, including farmland and homes, to be used to create the endowment.
In its first application season, the Harris-Thomas Endowment will offer five $2,000 scholarships for undergraduate students.
“While it was bittersweet to lose a great friend of the Farm Bureau like Jackie, we are excited to begin honoring her family legacy through gifts to deserving college students,” said Richard Guebert Jr., Illinois Farm Bureau president.