The University of Tennessee at Martin College of Business and Global Affairs recently received a $1 million pledge from James D. “Jim” and Barbara Wingett to continue funding the established James Duncan Wingett Scholarship Endowment, which benefits students majoring in accounting and finance.
The Wingetts met while studying at UTM in the 1980s and wanted to support the next generation of students who can benefit from the university just as they did.
“UTM holds a special place in my heart having met the love of my life there,” said Jim. “Barbara and I have been blessed, and we are excited to make this commitment to the university that means so much to us. Our sincere hope is that the students that receive these scholarship funds will enjoy and benefit from their UTM experience as much as we did and ultimately pay it forward to the next generation of UTM students.”
Barbara graduated in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and was followed by Jim in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Jim later graduated from the University of Delaware Stonier Graduate School of Banking and spent more than 35 years in the financial services sector in commercial banking, insurance, investment banking and investment management. In 2008, Jim co-founded Wolf River Capital Management in Memphis, and he currently serves on the UTM College of Business and Global Affairs Advisory Board, as well as the Chancellor’s Roundtable.
“It is an honor for us to see one of our graduates to have a success story as remarkable as Jim Wingett’s. He is a role model and a source of inspiration for all of our students, and although I have known him for only a short time, I could not help but immediately recognize his devotion to our college, and his commitment to our students’ success,” said Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi, dean of the College of Business and Global Affairs. “The scholarship endowment that he and his wife, Barbara, established for our accounting and finance students is a true reflection of the goodness of their hearts and the height of their giving spirits. We, the faculty, staff and students in the College of Business and Global Affairs, are so grateful for Jim and Barbara’s continued support.”
For more information about the James Duncan Wingett Scholarship Endowment, contact Tootoonchi at 731-881-7306.
