Daniels estate blesses HLG with $21,000
HANNINBAL – When John Daniels’ boss at a St. Louis hardware store told him to go to college in 1952, he packed up and hitchhiked his way north to Hannibal-LaGrange College (HLG). All he had was a beat up, old suitcase and $21 in his pocket.
Daniels earned his degree and went on to teach industrial arts on the high school level. HLG was never far from his heart however and he continued to send the school $21 each year until his death Aug. 10 of this year. A few months later during homecoming, friends of Daniels approached HLG President Woodrow Burt with two items from the estate: an old, beat up suitcase and a check for $21,000.
“Twenty-one just kept coming up with his history with the school,” said HLG’s vice president for institutional advancement, Connie Benson. “He was a wonderful man and we’re so blessed to see his legacy live on.”
Benson said the money will be used to fund scholarships for education majors, just like Daniels. She announced the gift to HLG’s trustees during their Nov. 16 meeting. It was an emotional and moving highlight of an overwhelmingly positive report to the board.
Burt announced that for the third year in a row, HLG has been honored by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) for being one of the top 10 sending schools in the nation. The rankings are based on total number of students sent, not per capita.
“Not only that,” he said, “but this year HLG was the No. 1 sending school in the nation out of 314.”
Finance-wise, revenue is up $200,000 and expenses are down $400,000 over last year, helping the school run well into the black, with this year’s income surpassing expenses more than 15 percent.
Seventy-two students are on track to graduate in December.
The trustees’ various committees reported they are studying potential changes to the student handbook and are looking at options for future student housing projects as the on-campus student population grows.