In her job at WSU, Beverly White asks people to give to the university. But outside WSU, she has...
A giving nature
By Lynette Murphy
When
Beverly White was a teen-ager in Ohio, she had an uncle who was very involved
in church activities and went out of his way to make sure he inspired
youngsters to do the same.
"He'd let a group of teen-agers go over to his house and hang out," playing hopscotch or four-square, says White, a development director at the WSU Endowment Association. "He'd even let us listen to the sounds of Motown, but only after' certain hours on Sundays. I remember him saying, "After all, this is the Lord's day."
"He lived what he talked about by donating some of his time here and there. That was impressive."
That exposure to her uncle’s mentoring, paired with that of an aunt who at times helped raise other people’s children and adopted a foster child, influenced White to be a living example of the "public service" phrase in WSU’s mission.
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Beverly White’s community service spans the spectrum. This list doesn’t include various work related organizations.
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Since arriving in Wichita three years ago, she's become involved with at least eight organizations, not counting the occasional gratis speech she gives on minority or women's issues or parenting workshops she presents with her husband Greg, a public school teacher.
One of the most recent groups she’s become involved with is the Talented Tenth, a new organization founded on the theories of Harvard University scholar W.E.B. Du Bois. The 10 African-American women comprising the group are seeking answers to societal problems and working to influence the next generation of leaders to do the same.
White knows firsthand about racial and social class biases. Her mother’s family, headed by a Methodist minister and farmer, grew up in the rural South on 666 acres - quite a payload for a black man in the 1920s. Her grandfather was a firm believer in formal education.
Her father, on the other hand, lived as a young boy in the "quarters," the area around the railroad yard in downtown Sulligent, Ala. White’s mother literally married a boy from the other side of the tracks.
White credits that experience, along with her degrees in sociology and anthropology (a bachelor’s from Central State University in Ohio and master’s from Ohio State University), with sparking her interest in helping others, specifically minorities.
"My God, I grew up having to pay attention to cultural differences. It was thrust upon me," she says when referring to the definition of anthropology.
Arneatha Martin, co-founder of the Talented Tenth, handpicked White to be a member because of her dedication, vision and risk-taking ability. She first heard about White through her friends after White stood up at her church saying she was interested in doing community service. That’s taking a risk if there ever was an example, Martin says.
"She’s very gifted and articulate," Martin says of White. "She reaches out and tries to find new leaders. And she invites us to serve on boards at the university. She's a great example of the ties between the community and the university."
WSU President Don Beggs agrees. Even though the "public service" part of the university's mission could be interpreted to mean either job-related or personal public service, White has both covered, he says. "She's demonstrating that she has integrity, which reflects well upon the university," Beggs says.
Her benevolent personality also enhances her job as a university fund-raiser. "She gives of herself in other settings in the same way she asks WSU donors to give their resources," Beggs says.
White explains the effect: "If the community senses that you’re genuinely interested in the university and the community, it gives them a comfort level, and they, too, want to participate."
And be assured that White's role on these boards isn’t just to occupy a chair; she is a "worker," says Bob Sterbens, president of the Downtown Kiwanis, where White serves on the board and membership committee.
"Beverly never says no anytime we need something," Sterbens says.
OK, OK, White admits that she does say "no" once in awhile - it just isn't often detected because she has a generous way of doing so.
"If someone asks me to help and I'm not sure I want to, rather than saying no, I'll give other options - someone else's name or an offer to do something less time-consuming," White says.
In that same realm, co-workers have asked White "just how many boards she’s going to serve on," and one might think she runs the risk of spreading herself too thin.
But, according to fellow development director and friend Susan Lee, White manages to take care of each detail, no matter the number or the nature of the tasks.
"She balances each project to ensure proper attention is focused and all details are flawlessly executed," Lee says. "She can be counted on to get the job done with an unparalleled sense of commitment.
"To that, she adds a personal side that makes her invaluable to her work and to her community."
