Inspired by Students, Committed to Education

Ed Kizer

Ed Kizer '61

Ed Kizer '61 chose Davidson in 1957 after being inspired by well-respected community leaders—Davidson alumni—in his hometown of Asheboro, North Carolina.

"I was a business administration major—you could do that in those days—and we had a military requirement," says Ed. "After graduation, I served as an infantry platoon leader in Alaska. I liked the frontier atmosphere up there. Fortunately, this was peacetime, and the military training and leadership experience was well worth two years of my life."

College and post-grad experiences prepared Ed for a successful career, and he spent 28 years in the banking industry before moving into a fundraising and legislative relations-focused role at UNC Charlotte. It was at an event for UNCC that he learned about the number of teachers retiring each year compared to the number of undergraduate students planning to go into teaching—and it was not good news.

"It happened to be that that same day, I had a meeting at Davidson to talk about setting up a charitable remainder trust," says Ed. "The event earlier in the day was a major factor in my interest to support teacher recruitment and retention. My overall goal with this gift is to encourage more Davidson students to consider teaching."

The charitable remainder trust will endow a director of educational studies at Davidson, further supporting opportunities for students to go into teaching. A charitable remainder trust was a great choice for Ed and his wife, Page, because they were able to convert appreciated stock into lifetime income and receive tax benefits.

In addition to his support of the teaching profession, Ed prioritizes the men's basketball and track and field programs. His involvement makes a difference for Davidson today, and his contributions will leave a lasting impact on the lives of Wildcats to come.