Coe College recently issued the following announcement.
Coe College mourns the passing of Henry Tippie, a friend and benefactor of the college. Our condolences are with the Tippie family.
Henry’s contributions to Coe are numerous, and while not an alumnus of Coe, he and his wife, Patricia, supported the college as if they were.
The Tippies' connection to Coe began with Henry, who first was introduced to the college in 1944 when he enlisted in the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program (ASTRP) at age 17. He received his initial military training and introductory college coursework on Coe's campus, bunking with about 200 other cadets in the basement of Eby Fieldhouse. Henry found his experience in the ASTRP to be beneficial, believing it gave him and other participants the opportunity to achieve greater things in life than they might have otherwise. His gratitude for the program persisted throughout his life and led him to organize a reunion of his fellow cadets. A plaque in Coe’s Athletics and Recreation Complex commemorates these cadets and their service to our country.
Being a part of ASTRP also cultivated a fondness for Coe and a desire to give back to the school, with gifts to Coe totalling more than $1 million. In 2002, Henry and Pat established the President's Special Assistance Fund to provide financial support for students in need. In 2012, they made a gift to create the Henry B. Tippie Professorship in Business and Economics. Most recently, the Tippies contributed financial support for the David and Janice McInally Center for Health and Society. The Center for Health and Society will create dedicated advising and preparation space for students in all majors who want to work in health care and impact the well-being of others. It’s slated to open this fall.
“Coe is one of many institutions in Iowa that remain grateful to the Tippies for their investments to ensure our students have opportunities to grow. Although his time at Coe was limited to his military service, his impact was beyond measure. Our condolences to Pat and family during this difficult and sad hour,” said Coe College President David Hayes ’93.
To acknowledge their generosity, the Tippies have been recipients of numerous philanthropic recognitions that Coe helped to initiate.
Along with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement and the Kirkwood Foundation, Coe nominated Henry and Patricia for the Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award through the Eastern Iowa Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2018.
Then, in 2021, the Tippies were jointly nominated by Coe President Emeritus David McInally and Allegheny College president Hilary L. Link to receive the Award for Philanthropy from the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). The Tippies also generously supported Allegheny, which is Patricia’s alma mater, and which is where McInally served as dean of students, secretary of the college and vice president for finance and planning at Allegheny College, prior to coming to Coe in 2013.
Original source can be found here.
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