master of landscape architecture ’74

Gift endows scholarships

Judith Rees already was a hands-on landlord when she inherited an apartment building in need of major rehab. Suddenly, she found herself wearing a general contractor hat—on top of her property manager, gardener, and handy man hats. Fortunately, the 1974 UO graduate’s career as a historic preservation program manager for the Portland Development Commission equipped her to take on a major rehabilitation project.

When the project was completed and the chance to sell came up, Rees decided to make a gift that gives back: a charitable remainder trust. By transferring a rental to the trust before selling it, she was able to avoid capital gains taxes and receive a charitable deduction.

Rees’ trust will endow scholarships for UO students in landscape architecture and historic preservation, and at Catlin Gabel, the private K–12 school she attended in Portland.

“Even though I don’t have children of my own, if I can help give an education to others, I feel that’s the greatest gift I can make,” she said.

Originally published in 2009, this story is part of the 100 Stories collection, compiled to celebrate our 2014 centennial and recognize the achievements and contributions of our alumni worldwide. View the entire 100 Stories archive on the College of Design website.