Investing in Education Teacher. Adviser. Administrator. After more than four decades of working as an educator, Jim French continues to do what it takes to ensure all students have the means to learn-including a little known secret that has had an overarching impact on more than a decade's worth of MBU students. Some things are just too good to keep quiet.Clad in a charcoal suit and tie, Mr. James French, MBU education division chair, arrived at his office on the third floor of the Thomas and Virginia Field Academic Hall a little after 7 a.m. on a Thursday in March. He left for the day a little after 6 p.m. that night. Those who know French well understand that such an extended day is the norm-not the exception-for the 67-year-old seasoned educator turned professor turned MBU administrator. Indeed, French has worn a number of hats in his more-than-four-decade-old quest to help every student he teaches engage in substantive learning. His conviction to aid in each student's quest to learn has never stopped at the end of the work day, no matter how long it may be. In fact, it doesn't take long for the thousands of students he has influenced and continues to impact to notice the professional investment he makes in terms of hours worked and years served. What is perhaps not so obvious to his students is the striking financial investment he has also made in the name of education. In the last decade alone, French has quietly donated more than $110,000 to various MBU causes. It was that generosity that prompted University leaders this past spring to name French a Lifetime Member of the MBU President's Club, a rare recognition reserved for those donors who have given at least $100,000 to the University within a decade. French is the first acting MBU employee in the University's history to receive such a mark of distinction. French's financial investment to MBU began as a way to remember the love of his life, a woman who spent much of her life quietly championing education from the sidelines. French met his late wife, Helen, in their small southeast Missouri town of Naylor. He recalls first chatting with Helen inside the town's ice cream parlor. Before long, the two were in a committed, albeit longdistance, relationship. French was pursuing his undergraduate degree at Arkansas State University while his soon-to-be-wife completed her high school degree back in Naylor. The two were married a year and a half later, launching a 40-year marriage that yielded two sons and a partnership that always centered around education. Along French's professional journey, Helen was always by his side, encouraging him as he helped-and continues to help- students become successful leaders of tomorrow. At 16, French moved to Arkansas State University where he would later receive a bachelor's and master's degree in education. By 19, French had moved to St. Louis with his bride to pursue his first job as a fifth grade teacher. He spent the next decade as a classroom instructor before receiving an opportunity to act as an elementary principal-a position he held for 30 years until his retirement from the Hazelwood, Mo., School District in 2003. After battling cancer for years, Helen passed away on Aug. 13, 2001. French asked that memorial contributions in honor of his wife be made to MBU in lieu of flowers. Those gifts, along with a generous donation on behalf of French, came to form the Helen Marie French Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship fund annually provides assistance for students who are seeking to become state-certified teachers. "When Helen passed away, it made perfect sense that a scholarship benefiting education majors be established in her name," French said. "I thought it would be better to have a scholarship fund in her name. Helen would have wanted to help students who have the potential to help children engage in true learning." French's retirement proved to be short-lived. At 49 years of age, French put his vast professional experience to use as an adjunct instructor at MBU's Troy-Wentzville Extension. Within two years, French was promoted to the University's Chair of the Education Division, a position he still holds today. During French's tenure at MBU, the education division has grown from fewer than 600 students to more than 1,900. Under French's guidance, the University has launched a successful master's program and has received national accreditation. "I just want Helen's name to be remembered," he said. Aside from the scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, French has donated substantial sums of money to many MBU causes. His objective, much like his professional goals, is simple: "I really just want to continue to improve the quality of education we provide," he said. |
