Munros give to MSU on two fronts: law and athletics
Willard (Bill) and Marion Munro, both Michigan State University graduates, believe in giving back to the institution that has given them, their family and the greater community outstanding educational opportunities and dynamic athletic events. The couple has provided two future gifts of $100,000 each to the MSU College of Law and the MSU Department of Athletics.
Together, this $200,000 gift was set up as a charitable gift annuity and provides the Munros with a guaranteed stream of income at a fixed rate for their lives. At the death of the surviving annuitant, the remainder will go directly to both law and athletics. The Munros received a significant charitable deduction on their Federal tax return for the year they established their gift annuity.
A major reason for giving to MSU runs as deep as family ties. Bill and Marion met while pursing business degrees at MSU. They dated throughout college and married in 1946. In 1951, Bill received his law degree from Wayne State University and entered into solo practice in a firm bearing his name in Detroit, later moving to Troy. He was a general practitioner but developed an expertise in federal estate taxes.
Bill was president of the Oakland County MSU Alumni Association for several years, securing gifts from other graduates for student scholarships. The association also hosted social events and post-game parties at top venues in and around Detroit.
In 1992, their son Andrew (Andy) graduated from Detroit College of Law (DCL), now MSU College of Law, and joined the firm, which became Munro and Munro, P.C. Bill retired in 1998, and the firm later merged with Howard & Howard, P.C.
When DCL affiliated with MSU in 1995 and moved to East Lansing, Bill knew that the college would need philanthropic support to forge its new partnership and thrive in a new location. To help ease the transition, the Bill and Marion became committed donors. Both recognized that the college helps students prepare for a career that fits with today’s reality of law: more technology and greater specialization.
Lawyers in the Munro family will soon span three generations since Andy’s daughter, Sara, now attends MSU College of Law. Another daughter, Andrea, is a student in the MSU College of Human Medicine.
The Munros have been season ticket holders to Spartan football games for 46 years. Bill and Marion attended many sporting events at MSU – everything from football to boxing – since their undergraduate years. Their gift to athletics is in support of student-athletes and the program that develops their potential on and off the field.
For more information on making a current or future gift to the MSU College of Law, contact Director of Development Tina Casoli at (517) 432-6842.
