Like Father, Like Son: A Humble But Impactful Philanthropic Tradition Continues

Bill Acton, MD, discovered his father’s philanthropy by accident.

A few years after his father's death, Acton was running errands one day and was recognized by a colleague of his father’s. The gentleman spent several minutes telling Acton what a great man Acton’s father was and how much he’d done for the community, including the contributions his father made to a local scholarship program to ensure high school students had the funding to complete college.

“I came back from town that day and told my mother, and she was horrified,” Acton laughed. “She said ‘Who told you this?’ And when I told her, she said she was going to get on the phone with them and reprimand them.”

She implored Acton not to share the news with his brother and sister. She wanted to honor his father’s wish that all his generosity be kept anonymous.

Inspired by his father’s generosity, the 1971 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia and retired radiologist established the William and Elizabeth Acton Scholarship Endowment in memory of his parents. It provides scholarships based on financial need to medical students at MCG, where Acton also completed his residency in 1976.

He admits his parents would likely be mortified to know he named an endowment for them.

“But whatever success I’ve had is because of the influence I had from [my parents]. That’s where my idea of philanthropy came from, and I wanted to honor them both.”

Acton’s father was a big believer in scholarships and thought that education was a great equalizer. He believed it was a critical element in raising children and that a person should take advantage of every opportunity they could to get an education. He made sure Acton and his siblings received a quality education without worrying about working while going to college. Acton said that his father believed his job was to ensure his children could go to school worry-free, and their job was to focus on being the best students they could be. Acton himself received multiple scholarships throughout his academic career from his bachelor's degree all the way through medical school.

The William and Elizabeth Acton Scholarship Endowment started as an estate gift, but Acton later decided he wanted to see the students benefit from the scholarship in his lifetime, so he made another gift to fully fund the endowment. He also began funding it annually until it had grown enough to independently generate the funds needed to disburse scholarships.

“This scholarship is going to medical students, and I hope it inspires some of them who received scholarships like I did, that they will do the same when they have the means to give back,” Acton said.

The current recipient, a fourth-year medical student Roy Urum, has expressed his appreciation for receiving this award and hopes to one day fulfill Acton’s spirit of generosity.

“I am going to be practicing medicine and this scholarship is really going to help me in transitioning to residency and paying off a little of my student loans," Urum said in a message of gratitude to Acton. "I hope to one day be in a position to pay it forward."

Acton’s father believed that a person didn’t need to be recognized for giving. The act itself was recognition enough.

“I remember there was a patient in my hometown who’d had a heart transplant in Augusta,” Acton recalled. “My father knew him quite well, and found out there were outstanding medical bills, so my father, along with another businessman, decided to pay off the bills and never told the family.”

“He didn’t have a huge amount of money,” Acton said, “But he always felt that if you were blessed with a little extra, you should use it to do something for someone, and I think sometimes people need to be reminded to give back.”

Make a Difference for Mcg Students—Today and Tomorrow

If you’re inspired to help deserving AU students realize their dreams, please reach out to Mary L. McCormack at 706-721-5027 or @[email]. She can assist you with creating a AU legacy that matches your needs and situation.