{"id":2241,"date":"2025-12-15T10:35:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T15:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/third-and-broadway\/?p=2241"},"modified":"2026-01-02T15:54:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T20:54:55","slug":"donor-story-legacy-of-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/third-and-broadway\/fall-2025\/donor-story-legacy-of-gratitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Donor story – Legacy of Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Legacy of Gratitude<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Yewell family\u2019s enduring bond with Transylvania University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Laurie Genet Preston<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

When David Yewell \u201964 looks back on his path to Transylvania University, he still marvels at how a few small acts of kindness changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy Owensboro High School basketball coach, Bobby Watson, recommended me to Transylvania Coach C.M. Newton,\u201d Yewell recalls. \u201cCoach Newton called me at Hinds Junior College \u2014 I accepted and told him my roommate, David Jones, might also be interested. He said he\u2019d be happy to have both of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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David Yewell \u201964 with wife Jean Edison Yewell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That phone call set the course for a lifetime. Soon after, Yewell and Jones drove from Mississippi to Lexington for a visit. Coach Newton, President Irvin Lunger and several Transy supporters \u2014 including then-Gov. and future Major League Baseball commissioner A.B. \u201cHappy\u201d Chandler \u2014 hosted them for lunch at Idle Hour Country Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll these incredible strokes of good fortune changed my life forever,\u201d Yewell says. \u201cI had no hope of college without the privilege of receiving so much personal help from so many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new direction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Transy, Yewell thrived on and off the court. He trained as a teacher and coach, but something unexpected happened \u2014 he fell in love with learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the first time, I really fell in love with studying,\u201d he says. \u201cTransy gave me the chance to succeed. It\u2019s where I found my direction.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That discovery led him to law school at the University of Kentucky, where he found what he calls his \u201cperfect fit.\u201d A long, successful legal career followed, along with decades of community leadership in his hometown of Owensboro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two generations, one Transy family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Decades later, David and Jean Eidson Yewell watched their son, Jason \u201992, make his own way to Transy \u2014 though they never pushed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI learned about Transylvania through my parents at a young age,\u201d Jason says. \u201cEducation is a priority in our family, and the fact that my father was the first in his family to attend college made an impression upon me. Our connection with Transy was always present and strong \u2014 from Dad participating in alumni events to me attending basketball camp every summer. When it was time for me to consider colleges, I recognized the value of a Transylvania degree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason\u2019s Transy years were filled with the kinds of experiences that make lifelong memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have so many wonderful memories across the spectrum of college life,\u201d he says. \u201cI had incredible mentors in professors Joseph Binford and Paul Fuller, who made history come alive. Coaches Don Lane and Ron Whitson gave me the opportunity to participate as a walk-on with the JV basketball program. There were afternoons at the Rafskeller, pick-up games in the student center and dorm life that forged lifelong friendships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason met his future wife, Mary Kaye Gernert Yewell \u201993, on campus \u2014 a connection that continues to shape their family. \u201cOf course, campus life allowed for Mary Kaye and me to meet, date and marry,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Kaye\u2019s sister, Melissa Gernert Hall \u201991, and niece, McKenzie Hall \u201918, are also proud Transy graduates, making the Yewell-Hall family tree deeply rooted in Transy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paying it forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For David, who was the first in his family to earn a college degree, giving back to Transy was always part of the plan. He and Jean created The David L. and Jean Eidson Yewell Endowed Scholarship to help first-generation students experience the same transformative opportunities he once did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always wanted to start a scholarship program to assist first-generation students,\u201d David says. \u201cI owe any success I may have achieved to those early recommendations \u2014 and to a little round ball played as a game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the Yewells\u2019 contributions have come through David\u2019s IRA \u2014 a giving method that\u2019s both impactful and efficient. \u201cIt\u2019s very simple \u2014 there\u2019s no tax associated with the contribution, either to the person making the gift or to Transylvania,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason shares that same sense of gratitude. \u201cA Transylvania degree has the power to open doors,\u201d he says. \u201cI experienced that firsthand when applying to graduate school. The critical thinking, communication and flexibility skills gained from a liberal arts education here are recognized and valued. Whatever measure of success we achieve is directly related to our Transylvania education. We hope our ongoing support can make that possible for more students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forever a disciple<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even now, Yewell stays closely connected to the university. He attends campus events, follows athletic programs and keeps in touch with fellow alumni like Denny and Joy Lou Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe future seems to be in good hands with Transy\u2019s current leadership,\u201d he says. \u201cAll the athletic programs are vibrant and successful. I\u2019m forever a disciple of Transylvania University.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Yewells, Transy is more than a place \u2014 it\u2019s part of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTransy gave our family opportunities we could never have imagined,\u201d David says. \u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to give back to the place that made so much possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will you join the Yewells in giving back to Transylvania? Get involved with current and future students, or give your time or resources to the university community. However you choose to participate, we\u2019re grateful for your support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ways to Help<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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More from this issue<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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250 Timeline<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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President\u2019s Circle Honor Roll<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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President\u2019s Circle Honor Roll<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Now in its 10th year, the Writing for and with Nonprofits course continues to bridge the gap between campus and community. <\/p>\n

Continue to “Donor story – Legacy of Gratitude”<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"35,1","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[15,142,183,184],"article_type":[10],"feeds":[],"class_list":["post-2241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-profile","tag-david-yewell-64","tag-legacy","article_type-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nDonor story - 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