True Blue at Heart

February 2019

BYU has always been a part of Jeanne Quinton’s life. She and her late husband, Wayne, have supported the university since President Rex E. Lee invited them to donate. She loves BYU and BYU Broadcasting.

How does a University of Utah graduate whose husband graduated from the University of Washington end up a member of the BYU Knight Society?

Jeanne Quinton always expected to attend Brigham Young University. Her mother and father both graduated from BYU, where they met as students. Her father even played on the basketball team.

However, circumstances made it more appealing for her to attend the University of Utah near her home in Salt Lake City, and she earned a degree in education there. She later earned a master’s degree in early childhood education at Seattle Pacific University.

Jeanne’s husband, Wayne, became a biomedical engineer at the University of Washington. He built many medical devices, some of which became standard tools of the profession (such as the cardiac stress treadmill and dialysis machine). His talent for making medical equipment translated into a successful business venture.

One day, on a boating trip, he met BYU president Rex E. Lee, and they became fast friends. “They were both very bright,” recalls Jeanne. “They just clicked.”

Just before President Lee died, he called Wayne and expressed his desire for Wayne to continue supporting BYU. Since then, he and Jeanne have donated to many campus initiatives, and they set up the William Greenwood Foundation, named after her great-grandfather. Wayne and Jeanne found it easy to support BYU even though they had graduated elsewhere.

“Wayne used to say that you can get a good education at many schools, but at BYU you can get a spiritual education as well,” Jeanne says.

Since Wayne’s passing a few years ago, Jeanne has continued to support BYU, particularly BYU Broadcasting. She admits, “I still love the scripture roundtable programs.”

When Wayne and Jeanne were both serving on the President’s Leadership Council, they met Jim and Sandy Cook, chairs of the Knight Society.

“I love the Cooks,” says Jeanne. “One day Sandy asked me, ‘You already support BYU—why not make a legacy gift and become a Knight Society member?’ So that’s what happened.”

The Jesse and Amanda Knight Society is made up of donors who have made planned gifts to BYU. Members are invited to campus each year for a thank-you luncheon. It’s simple to join; there are no minimum gift amounts and no dues. In fact, if you’ve included BYU in your plans, you’re already eligible for membership. Visit give.byu.edu/knight for more information.