Smart Gifts, Large Impact
From the time he set foot on the Buena Vista campus, Wayne Forbes, Class of 1947, had an immediate connection with the university that would span his entire life.
Wayne Forbes, Class of 1947, once said he always felt that there was a distinct connection between him and Buena Vista. "Getting involved in the alumni association, then as a trustee, plus volunteering for the annual Community Campaign, it just seemed that I was always tied to Buena Vista."
According to Ken Converse, vice president for institutional advancement, "Wayne was the quintessential community icon. He
was the whole package: great family man, successful small business owner, community leader and volunteer, Storm Lake and Buena Vista promoter to many, town and BVU cheerleader and advocate, and community philanthropist."
In January 2015, Wayne passed away at 89 years old, leaving an impact on Buena Vista University that will benefit students for years to come. He served as a shining example to the Storm Lake community of a small town business owner who always found a way to give back to others.
Wayne served as a trustee of Buena Vista from 1962-69 and as co-chair of the Order of the Arch, 1986-87. He was also a member and president of the BVU Alumni Association Board, and he was honored with the John Fisher Award in 1977 and the Henry Olson Distinguished Service Award in 2007. But, his ties to BV started after he proudly served his country as an aerial navigator in the Army Air Corps from 1943-45.
At Buena Vista, Wayne majored in business, was involved with The Tack, was a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, and also played football as part of what he called "'the meat squad,' the practice crew the starting line could bounce around."
Upon graduating in 1947, he stayed in Storm Lake, working at J.C. Penney for six years before opening Forbes Shoes in 1953, which he operated until his retirement in 1988. During those 35 years, he employed 39 BV students at the store.
Along with employing students from BV, Wayne supported the university through his time as an early advocate for the annual Community Campaign. Later, as his business thrived, he continued his support through modest annual gifts and later established a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) with BVU in 1996, which would provide funds to BVU and five other local charities upon his passing.
This CRUT provided a gift from Wayne and his late wife, Betty (Wilson), Class of 1947,
to support the 25th Anniversary Fund in the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business, and a similar gift in 2011 provided a major gift for the recent Peterson Field project.
Wayne and Betty were generous benefactors who planned their giving with a lot of thought to ensure their investment would make the greatest impact possible, leaving a legacy that their family can be proud of.
"If we are going to be remembered, we want to be known for remembering our heritage and how we got to where we are," Wayne once said. "Many of those who have gone before us put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this community to make it what it is today. The least we can do is put back a part of what we were fortunate enough to take out, and perhaps make things a little better in the process."