Allan and Barbara Tucker - “Bulldog Connections”
Allan and Barbara Tucker
If Allan and his wife, Barbara, look familiar, you've probably seen them at an MSU sporting event. The Tuckers are enthusiastic Bulldog fans both on the field and in the classroom.
Through their gift of agricultural land in northeast Arkansas, the Tuckers have funded scholarships in areas that are dear to their hearts – athletics and academics. In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, they have endowed a significant fund for student agricultural economics scholarships. Additional proceeds from the land will support the MSU Bulldog Club.
Allan Tucker grew up in the Mississippi Delta on a Sharkey County row crop farm, and followed in his father's footsteps by attending Mississippi State. After graduation from MSU in 1959, Allan enjoyed a long career with the Prudential Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries.
Allan was able to follow his dreams as a specialist in farm mortgage and farm acquisitions and later, with Prudential's Capital Agricultural Property Services, in farm management and real estate sales. During his career, Allan always made it a point to mentor new Prudential hires who were MSU graduates. Upon retirement, Allan and Barbara returned to Starkville to be closer to their beloved Bulldogs.
The Tuckers purchased the Arkansas property years ago as an investment. Today their grown children are spread out across the country, and the Tuckers didn't want to burden them with the management of property far from their homes. The gift to the MSU Foundation provided a tax benefit to the couple as well as relief from the burden of ownership their children would have had.
"MSU has meant a lot to our family. I hope our gift of property to the university will encourage other alumni to consider giving in the same way," explains Allan.
"Mississippi is so land rich," he continues. "Nearly 70 percent of the land in the state is privately owned. MSU plays such an important part in agriculture in Mississippi, and I want to see the college continue to grow."
The couple enjoys reading letters from their scholarship recipients, and it thrills them to see their gift working in the lives of young people today. The legacy they have begun is appreciated by these students and is an example of generosity that can change lives. Their passion for MSU academics and athletics will remain at the forefront of their lives for years to come.
Learn how gifts of real estate benefit donors and the university through helpful tools on this site or by contacting Jud Skelton at 662.325.0643 for a consultation.
