June 7, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—From students to accomplished alumni, Arnold and Priscilla Moss Greenfield cultivated a lifelong friendship with the Florida State University community. Both graduates of Florida State, the Greenfields devoted countless years ensuring FSU continued to offer the same unparalleled educational opportunities they both experienced during their time on campus.

Arnold served the University as student body president from 1957 to 1958 and maintained dedication to his alma mater by later becoming a visiting professor within the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy and as a member of the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees. Additionally, both Arnold and Priscilla committed their time to serving on numerous boards throughout the University landscape and state of Florida, including as part of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation Board of Directors.

Their involvement allowed the Greenfields to observe first-hand the immediate impact private philanthropy could have towards sustaining and strengthening the preeminence of Florida State. Together, they decided to be a permanent part of that legacy of excellence by remembering FSU with a planned gift. With their recently granted gift, Arnold and Priscilla’s vision to prepare FSU students with the resources necessary to obtain the real-world knowledge needed for public service careers will soon be brought to life.

“To remember FSU in their estate shows just how visionary Arnold and Priscilla were,” said Florida State University President John Thrasher during the gift presentation ceremony on May 13. “They gave so much of themselves to the University over the years, and now these gifts will ensure they will continue to have an impact on future generations of students.”

The gifts bequeathed, valued at more than $3,400,000, will establish the Arnold L. and Priscilla Moss Greenfield Endowment Fund and support multiple academic and experiential learning initiatives at the University. Funds will be used to provide academic specialization in state and municipal debt management through establishing the Arnold L. and Priscilla Moss Greenfield Eminent Scholar Chair in Public Debt Management within the Askew School. Remaining residual funds supplied from the endowment will create undergraduate- and graduate-level fellowships and scholarships for those pursuing studies in public policy, social science, law and other liberal arts at the Tallahassee campus, as well as for students who wish to experience international opportunities abroad at the FSU London Study Centre to further encourage interdisciplinary approaches to policy education.

FSU recently announced an experiential learning graduation requirement, ensuring students participate in various types of “hands-on” experiences necessary for successful futures such as the fellowships and international study the Greenfields’ generosity will support. Once implemented, FSU will be recognized as the largest university to adopt such a requirement.

Additionally, the Greenfields designated $100,000 of the endowment to support The Ringling and their successful completion of The Ringling Inspires: Honoring the Legacy and Building for the Future campaign.

“We have profound gratitude for the commitment Arnold and Priscilla displayed not only for FSU but for the individuals who will one day step on campus in pursuit of earning a college degree,” said FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy Dean Tim Chapin. “Thanks to the couple’s forethought of including Florida State in their estate plans, more students will have the potential to achieve their educational goals, and their academic and professional success will serve as a lasting tribute to Arnold and Priscilla’s philanthropy.”

To learn more about supporting the future of Florida State University with a gift through your estate or will, contact the Office of Gift and Estate Planning at giftplanning@foundation.fsu.edu or (850) 644-0753.