Late Legendary Coach Jerry Scheve Designates Funds Focused on Athletics Excellence, Peace Programming and International Affairs
In a moment that will shape Wilmington College for generations, the institution announces the largest gift in its history. College officials described Jerry Scheve’s record $23 million gift as “transformational” in positioning the institution for continued success in serving its students.
Scheve was a highly respected accounting professor and championship women’s basketball coach who passed away in May. He coached the Lady Quakers for 30 years before retiring in 2021. His 2004 team won the NCAA Division III national championship, the apex of his 518 career victories at WC.
Scheve was intentional in focusing his gift on the areas of athletic excellence, peace and conflict resolution programming and international affairs. Athletics was of special interest, and the centerpiece of the Scheve-funded projects is the Scheve Athletic Center, which features the construction of an indoor track.
President Corey Cockerill said the $23 million gift not only represents the largest in the College’s 155-year history but is one of the most personal. “It comes from someone who gave his life to Wilmington College, and who understood exactly what this community could become,” she said. “Coach Scheve’s generosity challenges us to think bigger, act bolder and lead with the same integrity he carried every time he walked into a gym or a classroom. Jerry believed in doing things the right way — for his players, his students and this College. This gift ensures that future generations will benefit from the same values he upheld so fiercely: discipline, humility and excellence.”
Jerry Scheve
Board of Trustees Chair Daniel J. Buckley described the gift as a “cornerstone” for the College’s future. “Just as he did as a national championship coach, his gift will inspire students for lives of service and success,” he said. “Deeply grateful, the College will be faithful to his expressed wishes and his enduring legacy.”
In addition to the indoor track, which will be known as the Jenna Parlette Running Center, Scheve’s gift will fund a Hall of Champions that celebrates athletic success and a host of major upgrades and additions to the College’s athletics infrastructure and sports programming.
Matt Croci, director of athletics, lauded Scheve’s commitment to excellence in athletics, noting how the gift will impact every sports program with positive implications for recruitment, retention and operations. “A gift of this magnitude and scope will change the trajectory of our athletic department,” he said. “It truly touches all of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, programs and physical spaces. I think it gives an incredible answer to the question, ‘What does excellence look like at Wilmington College?’”
Jenna Parlette was a student-athlete at WC who tragically died after collapsing just short of winning a collegiate cross country race in 2013. For many years, the College has hoped to honor her memory with a much-needed indoor track, an initiative Scheve quietly supported over the years.
Jenna’s mother, Lisa, who has worked tirelessly to garner support for what will now become part of her daughter’s legacy, was “shocked” when she learned the running center will become a reality — and that Scheve’s generosity will make it happen. “I’m so grateful and humbled,” she said in citing Scheve’s foresight and magnanimous gesture. ”Words cannot fully express the depth of our joy and gratitude to Coach Scheve for making Jenna’s dream of an indoor track at WC a reality. His generosity will touch the lives of countless athletes, students and community members for generations to come.”
The architect’s rendering of the Jenna Parlette Running Center façade displays the main entrance and the track’s bubble structure.
Ron Combs, the College’s long-time track and cross country coach, said his excitement is hard to put into words. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in track and field and cross country, but excited for what we can do in the future with the running center,” he said. “Winter workouts, when there’s six inches of snow, we’ll be able to do the things we want to do, plus, we’ll be able to host indoor meets. This will make a huge impact on our programs and the College. I really want to make Jerry proud.”
Scheve’s brother, Ken, recalled Jerry Scheve sharing details with their brother, Tom, and him about his illness and the significant financial portfolio he had accumulated. A case study in shrewd financial growth strategies, Jerry Scheve’s generation of wealth has its origins in his membership in an investment club in the 1970s. Indeed, he chose a couple of little-known start-ups — Apple and Microsoft — and continued making wise investments through the years.
As Jerry Scheve considered his estate planning, Ken Scheve recalled the brothers asking: “What’s important to you? What’s had the most impact on your life?” “It was clear his heart was with Wilmington,” he said. Jerry Scheve made numerous trips to the College from his home in Cincinnati last fall and into the winter — just as he had thousands of times during his 44-year professional career at WC — to work out the details of his gift.
Ken Scheve recalled his brother’s “excitement” as his gift plans for the College evolved. “It gave him a purpose at that point,” he said. “The more and more he got into it, he began realizing the impact his gift would have. He started to realize, ‘All this I can accomplish.’”
Tammy Shadley, vice president for advancement, worked closely with Scheve in the months following his terminal, pancreatic cancer diagnosis late last summer. She called it “an honor and privilege” to be in the position to accept the largest gift in the College’s history.
“Jerry and I spent hours discussing exactly how he wanted his gift designated, often reaching a conclusion one day only to change it the next,” Shadley said, noting those conversations always had the same theme. “He wanted to make a difference and help Wilmington College achieve excellence.”
Shadley is grateful for Scheve’s willingness to allow his gift to impact many areas of the campus. “I often told Jerry that he kept me on an emotional rollercoaster, as it was hard to be so happy about the magnitude of his gift, but also sad to know he would be leaving us,” she added. “I take comfort, however, in knowing that when he left us, he was at peace knowing his wishes would be honored and his gift would change the trajectory of Wilmington College.”
Indeed, several days before his passing, Scheve saw photos on WC’s social media of the 60-year-old, wooden bleachers in the gymnasium being dismantled to be replaced with safe, modern and electronically maneuverable seating. It was the first project in the grand plan involving his gift.
Ken Scheve said Jerry Scheve was visibly pleased as he examined images of workers halfway through removing the old bleachers. Seeing one part of his gift already in motion was especially satisfying to him, he added. “He was so confident that this is what he wanted to do for Wilmington College.”
The eight-lane, 200-meter indoor track will give the College’s student-athletes a place to train and compete regardless of the weather conditions on the outside. It also will serve to enhance recruitment, retention and community outreach. Tennis courts provide additional possibilities.