Everything Philanthropy

Lifelong education advocate Beth Thorne Stukes is involved with numerous philanthropic organizations at Auburn. Here, she speaks words of wisdom to Auburn University’s summer commencement class of 2017.

From an early age, Beth Thorne Stukes was immersed in the vibrant world of orange and blue, thanks to her mother, Barbara. But beyond the colors, Barbara passed down something even more enduring—a deep love for education and its power to transform lives.

 “Mother is a Human Sciences grad,” said Stukes. “She just had the most wonderful time of her life as a student at Auburn.”

 In a heartfelt tribute to their late mother, Stukes, alongside her sisters Barbara “Babs” Thorne Anderson ’88 and Rebecca “Becky” Thorne Carroll ’86, recently made a transformative gift to Auburn’s College of Human Sciences.  Their generous lead donation is going to help fund the construction of a new cutting-edge academic facility which will be known as the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility.

Stukes says the state-of-the-art building will be a lasting symbol of their mother’s legacy and commitment to education.

“I like to say Human Sciences bakes the cake of life,” explained Stukes. “Mother brought so much of what she learned as a food and nutrition major into being a home economics teacher before her four children came. She planted all those seeds.”

 Like her mother, Stukes was an educator herself. She spent 16 years teaching in rural Walker County, touching the lives of students every day and preparing them for a better quality of life.

 “I'm the oldest child in our family, which makes me a Bossy Flossy,” joked Stukes. “I'm a little nurturing, but we must make sure that our students are ready for this world today, that they can be nimble as they go through their life.”

Stukes’ joy of giving can also be traced back to her mother’s influence.

 “I started going to Women's Philanthropy Board meetings with mom,” recalled Stukes. “I began to learn things that affect women and their lives and how to be a better steward of my time, talent, treasure and trust.”

 That same spirit of intentionality continues to guide Stukes’ life. She is a member of Auburn’s 1856 Society Founders Circle, the Petrie Society, the Athletics Shug Jordan Society, the James E. Foy Loyalty Society, the Auburn Alumni Association, and a member of the executive committee of the Women’s Philanthropy Board.  Over the past decade, she has supported Ever Auburn Scholarships and created an endowment to support the International Quality of Life Awards. As co-chair of the $1 billion Because This Is Auburn campaign, Stukes helped secure substantial funds that supported scholarships, faculty development and infrastructure improvements at Auburn.

 Her philanthropic support spans the breadth of Auburn’s mission, creating educational opportunities and resources for countless students.

 “It’s very important for Auburn to create critical thinkers,” said Stukes. “We need to distribute that back to our state and our community so that all our children have a better head start. As a land grant university, that's our mission. That's why we're here. I'm very proud to say I don't think anybody's doing it better.”

 Last year, Stukes’ steadfast commitment to education led her to be recognized as Alabama’s 2024 Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Alabama Chapter.

 “I want every person to have their best life,” said Stukes. “The gospel according to Beth is that if you're on this earth sucking up the air, you should be better when you leave than when you got here.”

 This year, Stukes is serving as the chair of The Auburn University Foundation.

 “When Auburn comes knocking on your door, you say yes,” said Stukes. “The more I've been engaged, the more I've learned to love Auburn and come to know about the great efforts our different units are making for good change that will benefit our community, our state and globally.”

 Stukes finds immense joy in witnessing students thrive. By following in her family’s footsteps, she strives to leave a meaningful legacy herself and inspires others to do the same—an effort her mother would undoubtedly be proud of.

 “Auburn has allowed me to live my best life,” said Stukes. “The more you know about a good organization, the easier it is to support it. Different generations all give differently. We have to learn all those languages, and we have to speak to people where they are, and introduce them to the coolest thing going, which is Auburn University.”

 Read more stories on ways the Auburn Family is giving back to enhance the lives of future generations on the Spirit of Giving website.