Susan and Jack Graybill have established a precedent of endowing religious and educational institutions.

“We have been blessed and feel that we should share those blessings with others,” Jack said.

The generosity that they have demonstrated over the years is the reason that they are being recognized as 2019 Distinguished Members of the William Plumer Jacobs Society.

Although the Graybills did not attend PC themselves, seven family members over three generations graduated from the College. Susan’s ties to the school go back to the early 20th century. Her father, George Raymond McElveen, graduated in 1918. He was captain of the 1917 football team and a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. A painting of him in his football uniform with leather helmet and PC football hangs in PC’s Smith Administration Building.

Their late daughter, Lucy Kennedy Graybill Morton, graduated in 1978, as did her husband, James T. “Jim” Morton. The Graybills endowed a classroom in Neville Hall in memory of Lucy, as a part of the Neville Renewed campaign.

A number of years ago, while Jack was chairing The USC Educational Foundation, Jim was serving in development at PC. He worked with Susan and Jack to establish the Graybill-Morton Scholarship Fund to provide tuition assistance to support PC students.

“I believe in higher education and have a strong desire to help young men & women, who are willing to work hard and have a true desire to pursue an education,” said Jack.

The Graybills, who give regularly to the PC Fund & Scotsman Club, also established the George Raymond McElveen Scholarship fund in memory of her father. The scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior Christian Education major who is an intercollegiate student-athlete with a demonstrated financial need. Jack served on the PC Board of Visitors from 1989-1992. They are also Guardians of PC with a planned gift commitment.

Four of the Graybill’s eleven grandchildren graduated from PC:

Margaret Powers Strickland Tanis ’04; Sarah Elizabeth Morton Stevens ’06; Lucy Kennedy Morton ’09; and John Carlos Cochran Suber ’16. John joined Sigma Nu, following in the footsteps of his great grandfather.

“We give for the good of the cause,’ said Susan. “ We hope that our giving and this award encourages others to give back.”

Susan and Jack Graybill are two of the newest inductees into the William Plumer Jacobs Society. To learn about the other inductees, please visit the WPJ Society page.