Researching the American Experience

A gift from alumnus Tom Jones will fund undergraduate research and encourage engaged learning.

By Katie Vloet

Tom Jones attended U-M during the Vietnam War era and vividly recalls the activism that radiated throughout campus. The protests, the marches, the teach-ins— national events and movements played out before him and his classmates, allowing them to learn about participatory democracy in real time. It also made him more aware of the rich history of questioning and dissent at U-M. “Challenging the status quo has always been a part of the University,” he says.

Jones (B.B.A. ’68, M.B.A. ’71) would go on to become president of CIGNA Retirement & Investment Services and chairman of the board of directors at Hagerty Holding Corp., among other high-profile roles. But his experiences as a U-M student were permanently imprinted on him. Now, he wants other students at Michigan to learn about history, including significant events that unfolded on campus. “I’m very supportive of opportunities for students to get in and learn,” Jones says.

That’s why Jones recently gave a gift of $175,000 to the Bentley to establish an expendable fund, called the Jones Fund for Engaged Education.

The fund will support an array of active-learning activities that encourage undergraduate students to research, write, and ideally publish new historical accounts and understandings based on the primary sources held in the Bentley.

The fund can be used for paid internships, the costs of publishing student work, prizes for students or teams, partial tuition scholarships, and more.

“I hope the funds free them up to take the time to dig through and create the history of a time or issue at the University,” says Jones, now vice chairman and chairman emeritus of the board at Hagerty. “It’s a skill that they will be able to use after graduation in a variety of ways.”

Engaging undergraduate students in research is a vital part of Bentley Director Terrence J. McDonald’s goal of making the U-M community more aware of the rich resources available at the library. McDonald, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and director of the Bentley, worked with Jones to find the best use for his gift.

“At a time when we are buffeted by claims of ‘fake news’ and ‘fake history,’ there is nothing more important for our students to learn than the ability to construct a truthful account of the past based on their own research,” says McDonald. “Tom’s wonderful gift provides the financial support students need to have the experience of doing this.”

Jones is hopeful that students who benefit from his gift will cross the traditional boundaries of departments and colleges in doing their research.

“I think the greatest opportunities are between the disciplines, not within a single discipline,” says Jones, who also has given generously to the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He cites the intersection of political science and history as one example.

“Ultimately,” he says, “I want students to use the research process as a way to think about the American experience.”