Family has always been at the center of Bob Wakeham’s ’68 life. Bob applied to Mount Union because of a family connection through his uncle and cousin, both of whom attended. “I decided that Mount Union was a good fit because of the smaller school size,” he said. Little did he know the big impact that a small school would make on his future.

During his time at Mount Union, Bob became a brother of Alpha Tau Omega and a member of the wrestling team. “I was not a very good student my first year, but Mount Union made me feel valued and saw something in me that I didn’t necessarily see in myself.” The close-knit community supported him like family, and although he jokes of having too much fun in college, he found his love for teaching and science early on. 

Upon graduation, Bob continued his education and obtained two master’s degrees, one in education and another in business administration. He taught in Cleveland, Ohio for four years and then taught with the Department of Defense in Germany during the Cold War for another four years. “Teaching provided me with opportunities to see parts of the world – good and bad – that I otherwise would have never seen.” 

Bob returned from Germany in 1977 and began a new career in educational textbook sales. Over the course of the next 35 years, Bob did a lot of traveling and relocating for business. To stay active, he took up running for exercise while on the road and began competing in marathons. Bob eventually ran a marathon in each of the 50 states and then set a goal to run a marathon on each continent. He completed marathons on the first five continents and then set his sights on Asia and Antarctica. His second to last race was the Great Wall marathon in China. Finally, he endured the freezing cold temperatures, snow, and ice in the Antarctica Marathon. He hung up his running shoes for good in 2016 after successfully completing 75 races. 

Today, Bob and his wife Karen live in Maineville, Ohio. They have three children and three beautiful grandchildren who live nearby. 

Bob chooses to support The Mount Union Fund each year with gifts from his IRA. “Mount Union was accepting, and the community believed in me like family, despite the many bumps I faced. It feels good to give back. If Mount hadn’t believed in me 50 years ago, then my life would have been completely different.”  

Bob’s financial advisor was the one who recommended he consider the IRA charitable rollover option to lower his taxable income. “Many don’t know that the opportunity is there, it’s simple, and something great to keep in mind,” Bob explained. “Given what I’ve experienced in life, charitable contributions mean more to me now than they did 30 years ago. I feel it is my duty to give back to Mount Union, and giving by IRA allowed me to realize that I can make a larger impact.”