“Opening Doors to the Future: The Scholarship Initiative for Washington University” has received a big boost by alumnus John D. Beuerlein and his wife, Crystal, with a pledge of $1 million to establish an endowed scholarship for Washington University graduate students.
Beuerlein
John Beuerlein, a 1977 MBA graduate of Olin Business School, is a partner at Edward Jones, a leader in the financial services industry headquartered in St. Louis. The couple met at Drury University, where both graduated in 1975.
Crystal Beuerlein, who also has a degree in business administration, worked in the mortgage and insurance industries. In addition to her support of Drury, she dedicates much of her time and talent as vice president of philanthropic programs for the Assistance League of St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that provides school uniforms for approximately 2,200 students annually.
“John and Crystal Beuerlein’s extraordinary, long-term support of both Washington University and Drury University, especially with their gifts for scholarships, attest to their deep commitment to and abiding faith in the power of education,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton says. “Their generous gift is an investment in the students’ future, and in ours.”
The John & Crystal Beuerlein Family Scholarships will provide significant financial assistance to approximately two students each year. Graduate students from all schools within Washington University are eligible; however, special consideration will be given to graduates of Drury.
Considering the gift’s impact on graduate study at Washington University, Edward S. Macias, PhD, provost, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences, says, “This gift addresses one of our most critical needs, to ensure that no deserving young man or woman will have to turn down the opportunity for a Washington University education because he or she lacks the financial resources to afford that education. This is a meaningful gift that will transform lives.”
The Beuerleins take an active interest in the lives of those who receive their scholarship support. That’s why they have dedicated their gift in honor of two people they admire: Javier O. Detrinidad, a second-year MBA student and recipient of a Beuerlein scholarship who has a passion for helping others; and Mahendra Gupta, PhD, dean of the Olin Business School and the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management, together with his wife, Sunita, whose commitment to the university John cites as exemplary.
The couple has been supporting scholarships at Olin since 1986. More recently, they have provided gifts of $125,000 for business scholarships and $125,000 for the school’s annual fund.
In 2009, he received a Distinguished Alumni Award for his service to and support of Washington University, including serving as a member of the Alumni Board of Governors and as the Executive Committee chair for the Eliot Society.
For Drury University, John and Crystal have been great boosters, generously providing valuable resources and leadership skills to strengthen their alma mater. John has been a member of the board of trustees since 1991 and has served as chair. Over the years, their major contributions include providing the lead gift for the Drury Campaign for Science, co-establishing the Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship and funding numerous annual scholarships for Drury students.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, John enrolled at Olin Business School. A year before graduating with an MBA in 1977, he went to work for Edward Jones as an intern in the equity research department. He not only stayed on, but, just three years later, he became a general partner — the youngest to do so in the company’s history.
His career at Edward Jones spans more than three decades and includes a broad range of responsibilities covering research, equity trading, syndicate, sales and equity marketing, among others. Since 2007, John is responsible for the North American client loyalty program, a key objective of the firm. In 2010, Edward Jones was ranked No. 1 by JD Power in client loyalty.
In addition to Drury and WUSTL, John has attended executive-level programs at some of the top business schools in the country and earned the chartered financial analyst designation at the University of Virginia.
John has served the financial services industry as a former chairman of the National Membership Committee of the Securities Industry Association and as a past member of the board of directors of the St. Louis Society of Financial Analysts. He and Crystal are active in many community organizations as well.