Faculty Couple Leave Legacy at School of Communication

Barbara and Daniel O’Keefe Celebrate a Combined 35 Years at Northwestern With a Planned Gift

Barbara and Daniel O’Keefe know firsthand the impact that donors have at Northwestern University. Barbara has served as professor of communication studies, Annenberg University Professor, and dean of the School of Communication for 20 years, and Daniel has held the role of Owen L. Coon Professor in the Department of Communication Studies for 15 years.

“Resources translate directly into excellence for the University,” Barbara O’Keefe says. “With support from our donors, we can support a diverse student body, ensure students have equitable access to education, and hire the best faculty and enable them to do their best work.”

With this perspective in mind, the O’Keefes have committed to supporting the School of Communication’s future through their estate plans. The timing of their commitment is particularly meaningful to Barbara O’Keefe, who recently announced that she will step down from her longtime role as dean at the end of the academic year. “We are giving back to ensure that the School of Communication continues to thrive, and to provide for future generations of students and faculty,” she says.

This forward-thinking approach reflects Barbara O’Keefe’s tenure at the School of Communication. She is credited with transforming its faculty and programs, national reputation, and global impact. Under her leadership, the School of Communication—formerly the School of Speech—was renamed to reflect its broad, interdisciplinary focus. Today, it serves students at every level and houses the Departments of Communication Studies, Radio/Television/Film, Performance Studies, and Theatre, as well as the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

As they began planning their gift to Northwestern, Barbara and Daniel O’Keefe considered how they could make the greatest impact and also honor the memory of a beloved colleague, Chuck Whitney. After conferring with their financial adviser, they decided to create a donor-advised fund (DAF) and name Northwestern as the beneficiary. This arrangement offers a number of benefits, including an immediate tax deduction when the DAF is established, flexibility to recommend gifts from the DAF at any time, and the ability to designate the account remainder to the charitable organization of their choice.

The O’Keefes’ gift to Northwestern will create the Chuck Whitney Fellowship Fund, which will support graduate students in the field of writing. “Chuck was dedicated to helping his students succeed,” Barbara O’Keefe says of Whitney, the school’s former Chuck Whitney associate dean for faculty and graduate affairs. “He would have loved the idea of giving them financial freedom to pursue their studies.”

After a combined 35 years—and counting—at the University, the O’Keefes consider Northwestern to be their alma mater. “We have the same love and loyalty for Northwestern as any alumni,” Barbara O’Keefe says. “Northwestern is our community, and we are excited to make a gift that will help brilliance continue to happen here.”

Like the O’Keefes, you can create a meaningful legacy at Northwestern. Contact Northwestern Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu to learn more.