Annual Fund

Lynn Society

President: Paul T. Gillespie III '01

The society is named for Ross M. Lynn, headmaster of the school from its reopening in 1955 until 1978. Col. Lynn, more than any other individual, set the tone for the MUS spirit that is still alive today. The Ross M. Lynn Society is a group of alumni, parents, and friends who are committed to maintaining the legacy of truth, honor, and academic excellence at MUS espoused by Col. Lynn.

A man of great compassion and integrity, Ross M. Lynn dedicated his life to helping young men grow into responsible adults. He was far above the ordinary and truly an inspiration to those who knew him. Students respected his strong sense of fairness, tempered with firmness, and they realized that his concern for their welfare was genuine.

The inherent goal of the Ross M. Lynn Society will be to see that the traditions of truth, honor, and academic excellence live on at MUS.

Membership

Members of this society will include those whose annual support of MUS is $5,000 or more, unrestricted for current operating purposes. This level of support will ensure that MUS continues to attract and retain distinguished faculty and that it keeps pace with technology, teaching equipment, library collections, and all that goes into offering an education of the highest quality.

Leadership

Members of the Ross M. Lynn Society will be kept informed about the objectives, programs, and plans of the school, and their participation in the life of MUS will be encouraged. The involvement of the Lynn Society in important institutional matters will be of real benefit to the progress of the school. On a continuing basis, members of the Society will be asked to serve as ambassadors of MUS. The importance of having a corps of influential individuals who are well informed about the school and who can interpret it to others cannot be overestimated. Members will also be invited as guests to participate in special campus events and academic occasions.

Levels

• Chairman's Circle - $50,000+
• Headmaster's Circle - $25,000+
• Sustainer - $15,000+
• Benefactor - $10,000+
• Patron - $7,500+
• Member - $5,000+

Thorn Society

President: Patrick F. Hopper '89

The D. Eugene Thorn Society is composed of some of Memphis University School's most devoted friends and leaders. The Society recognizes its members for their generosity and provides them with opportunities to develop a closer relationship with the School. The Society is named for and honors D. Eugene Thorn, a dedicated teacher, mentor, and leader who served MUS for 37 years.

Gene Thorn began his 37-year tenure at Memphis University School in 1955 when the school was re-established and reopened. He served as counselor, friend, and role model to an entire generation of young men through his various positions as math teacher, coach, athletic director, Mathematics Department Chair, associate headmaster, and fourteen years as headmaster.

Membership

Members of the Thorn Society set an outstanding example for others to follow through their generosity and school involvement. Members of the Society provide annual unrestricted gifts of $1,000* to $4,999. These leadership gifts make it possible for some of the best teachers in the nation to engage promising students in intellectual growth, moral development, and social responsibility. The gifts also provide essentials such as library books, faculty salaries, laboratory equipment, financial aid, and funds for student activities.

*Membership begins at $100 for Emerging Leaders.

Leadership

Memphis University School invites you to become a member of the D. Eugene Thorn Society and become more involved with the school. You will receive periodic updates and news releases to keep you informed of the objectives, programs, events, and plans of the school, as well as invitations to participate in campus events and programs.

Your involvement in this leadership society will set the standard, indeed the direction, of the school's future. Furthermore, your association with the Thorn Society will serve to inspire others to commitment, to generosity, and to excellence.

Levels

• Headmaster's Circle - $3,500+
• Sustainer - $3,000+
• Benefactor - $2,500+
• Patron - $1,500+
• Member - $1,000+

D. Eugene Thorn Society Emerging Leaders
Co-Presidents Hurston Reed '13 and Tom Fowlkes '16

The Emerging Leaders Program is designed for MUS alumni five to 13 years after graduation. A part of the D. Eugene Thorn Society, Emerging Leaders is intended to identify young leaders from the MUS community, strengthen the school’s ties with these alumni, and help build toward the school’s future.

Emerging Leaders has several programs each year that give young alumni the opportunity to hear from members of the MUS community and Memphis business and city leaders while connecting and networking with fellow MUS alumni. We encourage input and suggestions from alumni of all ages to help the program evolve and develop. To insure that you receive all invitations to Emerging Leaders events, please send your current contact information, including email, to the Alumni Office.

The membership levels for Emerging Leaders are as follows:

Pledges may be paid monthly or quarterly by check, credit or debit card. Many companies have matching-gifts programs that MUS is eligible to receive. Please check on our Matching Gift Page or with your employer to see if they are participants.

• Honor Circle $500+
• Scholar Circle $250+
• Faculty Club $100+
• Owls Club $50+
• Donor $1+

The Collegiate Circle recognizes the most recent alumni who graduated within the last five years and who support the Annual Fund during their college years.* Memphis University School realizes what a significant gift this represents to our young alumni and values the generosity of these young men who have taken a leadership role in contributing to the Annual Fund and the school’s future success.