Alumna Karen Ann Hawkins leaves EKU largest single gift in its history

RICHMOND, Ky. —  Eastern Kentucky University announced it received its single largest gift in the school’s history today, more than $2.5 million left by Karen Ann Hawkins, who passed away last November.

The University honored Hawkins and her bequest with a memorial celebration in her hometown of Lawrenceburg on July 12. President Dr. David McFaddin and many of Eastern’s leaders met with Hawkins’ friends and family to celebrate her life and her legacy at EKU.

Hawkins, 75 at the time of her passing, was a 1968 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and a 1963 graduate of Anderson County High School. She carried a quiet love for the University since her graduation, her family said. Hawkins was a retired program analyst for Medical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She remained in her hometown of Lawrenceburg her entire life.

Hawkins was a member of the  Lawrenceburg First Baptist Church, a member and past president of the Beta Sigma Phi international sorority, and served on the Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Zoning Commission for eight years. She enjoyed traveling, reading, and making crewel embroidery.

“This gift is a beautiful reminder that the Eastern Kentucky University experience is one that doesn’t end when a student graduates and leaves campus. It is an experience that lasts a lifetime, and, in Ms. Hawkins example, beyond a lifetime,” Gardner said. “Her giving spirit will make it possible for the EKU experience to continue for generations to come.”

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