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Now retired after a long career with J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, Joe Bourne ’81 is happily done with meetings. But there’s one meeting he never wants to miss: the three times-a-year gathering of Southwestern’s Alumni Council.
“Every time I go, I learn 10 new things, and I’m bowled over by those same 10 things,” says Bourne, who also serves on the Board of Visitors. “The beauty of serving on councils and boards is you find out so much more about what’s going on inside the school. Students will give talks about what they’re doing, and it’s so impressive.”
Bourne is grateful for the experiences he had, the friends he made, and the confidence he developed as an undergraduate. In addition to donating his time, he makes annual gifts to the University and plans to endow four chairs and a merit-based scholarship through his estate.
“I want to see Southwestern thrive,” he says. “It has been around for 185 years, and it better be around for another 185 years. My service has shown me what it takes to run a small, liberal arts institution, and it’s a lot. I want other students to have the same opportunity that I was so blessed to have.”