Southeastern Illinois College is set to receive the largest estate gift in its history.
Colonel William Curtis Hise has pledged his entire estate along with some artwork to the college, valued at upwards of 7 million dollars.
Hise had previously made a private donation of 3 million dollars to create the Ella Elizabeth Hise Museum of Regional Art along with an operational endowment in honor of his sister.
The Hise estate gift – when combined with the colonel’s previous estate gift and museum gift – at more than 10 million to SIC, is one of the largest gifts to a community college in the state of Illinois.
Hise died in February 2021 at the age of 94. He grew up in Harrisburg and was drafted into the Army in 1945 and completed basic infantry training as World War II ended.
A memorial reception to honor Hise's life will be held in the Ella Elizabeth Hise Museum of Regional Art on November 10 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
