An Easy Decision to Give Back: Alan B. Holloway Endowed Scholarship Fund

Alan Holloway, a long-time member of the Saint Mary's community and an avid fan of Gael athletics, made the College part of his legacy through a bequest for an endowed scholarship through the Alan B. Holloway Scholarship Fund. The Fund was established in his honor with a gift from the Y & H Soda Foundation, which was founded by honorary alumnus Charles (Chet) Soda (THO '72). Alan, who retired as chief financial officer at Saint Mary's in 1993 after 29 years of service, passed away peacefully in February, 2019. "Saint Mary's gives so much to the community," Alan explained in an interview when he made the gift. "It's an easy decision to give back."

Alan enrolled as a freshman at the College in the class of 1950. His sophomore year, he departed for a two-year military deployment in Korea. After his military service, he finished his degree at UC Berkeley, which had a more established accounting program at the time. He then worked for a major accounting firm in San Francisco, where he had Saint Mary's as an audit account. Then he received a call from Brother President Michael Quinn asking him to join the College (first as controller, then as chief financial officer), where he dedicated the rest of his professional career. After retiring from the College, Alan served full-time on the Soda Foundation board of directors, where he also helped secure funding for the College, including support for scholarships, facilities, and Jan Term travel to programs in Central and South America.

Alan worked closely with many of the Christian Brothers at Saint Mary's, including Brother Albert U. Rahill, for whom the Rahill Society-an honorary society for people who include SMC in their estate planning-is named. Alan described Brother Rahill as regal, well-spoken and deeply connected to students. "Brother Rahill had a knack for remembering students' names," he recalled. "He would walk through the residence halls and surprise and impress the students by greeting them by name."

Alan and his wife Shirley, an honorary alumna (THO '04), jointly supported the College both through their annual giving and Shirley's involvement in the Saint Mary's College Guild. By funding the endowed scholarship through his estate, Alan ensured that his family's legacy will remain strong at Saint Mary's College for generations to come. Alan was the first in his family to attend Saint Mary's, but now six Holloway family members have attended the College, including his son, daughter, their spouses, and a granddaughter. "For our other grandchildren and great grandchildren," he said. "My wife Shirley and I can't think of a better place to go to college than Saint Mary's."

"We are grateful to Alan and Shirley for making it part of their legacy to ensure that future students will have access to a high-quality liberal arts education at Saint Mary's College," said Courtney Bennett, Planned Giving Officer.