Light bequest intention honors experience, opens doors

From the time he was a child in Little Rock, AR, Jerry Light knew that he wanted to be a doctor. Therefore, the plan for his Tulane undergraduate years was clear — major in biology or chemistry before heading to medical school. Recently retired following a successful career as a vascular surgeon in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area, Light did indeed become a graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine, even completing two residencies. But first, he had a life-changing shift during his undergraduate years.

At the time, Tulane required all students to complete a year of foreign language. Studying under Tulane’s legendary Elizabeth Poe in her first year at Tulane, Light fell in love with the French language and culture. He spent his junior year studying in France and ultimately majored in the subject before heading to the School of Medicine.

“It was the right path for me,” recalls Light. “It certainly broadened my horizons.”
When it came time to consider his estate plans, Light wanted to open similar doors for future Tulanians. To honor both the medical degree that shaped his career and the French studies that enriched his life, he included an unrestricted bequest intention to Tulane University in his will.

“As I was getting close to retirement, my wife and I decided to redo our wills. I hadn’t done any [estate planning] since I was in the Navy and as I was getting into my mid-60s, I decided I really need to go ahead and get a new will. And I just wanted to put a couple of [charitable] bequests in there,” recalls Light.

“I did one for my high school as well. Those two institutions equipped me to be successful in life. I wanted to give back.”

Light’s School of Medicine career was supported by a scholarship through the United States Navy. When he finished his second residency at Tulane in 1992, he relocated to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, where he began his career in vascular surgery and even did a short tour as the ship’s surgeon on the USS Kitty Hawk, an aircraft carrier which was deployed in the western Pacific at the time. He later served in San Antonio, Texas before joining a private practice.

Light’s Tulane experience was never far from his thoughts. He continued to visit France when he could, kept up with his fraternity brothers from Sigma Alpha Epsilon and made it back to New Orleans for his undergraduate and medical school reunions, even serving on his School of Medicine reunion committee for his 35th and 40th reunions.

Kathleen Ledet, director of alumni relations for the School of Medicine, mentioned to Light that estate gifts would be counted toward reunion totals. “That’s when Dr. Light shared that he had already included Tulane in his estate plans. He’s been an engaged part of our community for years, and it was inspiring to learn that he’s committed to making Tulane part of his legacy,” says Ledet.

Light encourages other alumni to consider Tulane’s impact on their lives when considering their estate plans. “Think about how much value and personal growth they received during their time at Tulane. Give back just because of that and to give other people the opportunity to experience that as well.”

By making his bequest unrestricted, Dr. Light gives Tulane the flexibility to meet its most pressing needs. His extraordinary gift advances Tulane’s mission to educate, innovate, and prepare leaders to make a meaningful impact.