Following many years of generous lifetime giving to the University, alumna Anne Young is now enabling the vital conservation of historic manuscripts and the advancement of interdisciplinary research fellowships thanks to the CRUT she set up in the USA in 2001 which has now been gifted to the University in her will.
Born in Bolton in 1936, Anne graduated from the University with an MA in English in 1957. Following a brief period as a Trainee Buyer at Harrods, she went on to teach English in various schools in both England and Africa before moving to Princeton to be with new husband, and fellow Aberdeen graduate, Ken in 1965. She initially taught speed reading to students at Princeton but always maintained a love of the arts and archaeology.
While living in the US, both Anne and Ken set up a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) which is a tax efficient method of charitable giving specific to the US. Set up during someone’s lifetime, it provides a stream of income to the donor, or someone they designate, and at the end of the trust term, the assets are distributed to a nominated charity.
The University houses a stunning collection of surveyor plans, many of which are manuscript/hand coloured and date from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century. The collection consists of approximately 5,500 plans and concerns estates, farms, districts, towns and villages throughout Scotland, but particularly Aberdeen City and Shire, and the historic shires of Kincardineshire, Banffshire, Moray and Nairn, Angus and Perthshire.
In May, Anne’s husband Ken visited campus to view some of the maps and to discuss how her legacy gift will enable a specialist conservator to assess the collection, stabilise it and then rehouse it in specialist units. This will allow the whole collection to be examined and the conservator will then decide what restoration work will be needed. Each plan is a true work of art, with each one telling a fascinating story about the development of the North East of Scotland.
Anne’s gift also includes support for interdisciplinary research fellowships at the University so her generosity will not only help us preserve this rich source of historic knowledge forever but will also help the University make new discoveries and develop creative solutions to tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges.
