A legacy of giving, leading by example

For Beth Thorne Stukes, philanthropy isn’t just a choice—it’s a family tradition.

Her early lessons in giving began during Sunday mornings at church with her father, Buddy Larry Thorne ’57, and three siblings. Every week, without fail, her father would have exactly four quarters in his pocket—one for each of the children to share in the offering plate.

“Over time, I got the idea that this was something pretty important to him—that he gathered quarters throughout the week to pass them out to us,” she says.

That sense of intentionality and joy in giving would guide Stukes’ life, shaping her passion for education, community, and philanthropy, and driving her ability to bring people together to advance organizations she champions, including Auburn University.

“My earliest mentors—my parents and grandparents—demonstrated kindness and resilience,” she says. “They felt joy in others’ successes.”

Today, her steadfast commitment to education and service is widely recognized, most recently with the 2024 William M. and Virginia B. Spencer Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Alabama Chapter.

“It's wonderful to see that people think kind things about you,” she says. “I’m humbled and honored.”

 

The Auburn Connection

Stukes said her parents brought their love for Auburn to the dinner table every night.

“It was just the only place in the world to us,” she says. “My mom had a great time at Auburn. She was a foods and nutrition major, and it was just a wonderful time in her life: before four children in five years, and before life, you know, really jumped in. She always spoke so lovingly about her time at Auburn.”

Her father also had close ties to Auburn, especially athletics.

“My dad was a sports maniac. And back in the day, when recruiting could be done by fans, we had coaches in our house all the time. They were either staying at our house, or Dad would be in the car when they were driving through our town.”

Stukes attended Auburn in the early 1980s and has stayed connected with the university over the years as a fan, and then as a parent when her son, Brent Uptain ’00, came to the Plains to earn a degree in architecture.

Deeper engagement with Auburn and its land-grant mission would come when her mother, Barbara Drummond Thorne ’58, became a founding member of the College of Human Sciences’ Women’s Philanthropy Board (WPB) in 2002. Driving her mother to the meetings and listening to discussions sparked something more in her.

“The whole goal of WPB was to inspire women to be educated and to take part in their communities, estate planning, and life’s unglamorous but critical details,” Stukes says.

Through WPB, Stukes learned how giving could empower communities. “For my mom, as a single parent and business leader, these lessons were vital. I just learned so much through the outstanding speakers and became involved there.”

Stukes spent 16 years teaching in Cordova, Alabama, a rural town in Walker County. Being a teacher and touching the lives of 75 students every day is the chapter in her life that she’s most proud of, she says.

“When I left the classroom, I was able to do different things and get to know my community better,” she said. “In the classroom, you see lots of needs, but you have very little time to engage and help in your community because you can’t turn your back on sixth graders.”

She retired from teaching and began working as her mother’s “Girl Friday,” which brought more flexibility to get involved in Walker County and community needs. She started with advocacy for a local leash law and served on the board of the county’s animal shelter. She got involved with non-profits advancing literacy in Jasper and Walker County, and later with the Walker Area Community Foundation.

And she found ways to get more plugged into the mission at Auburn.

 

Because This is Auburn

Stukes’ love for Auburn is as deeply rooted as the beloved Oaks at Toomer’s Corner.

She co-chaired Auburn’s transformational $1 billion Because This is Auburn campaign, which advanced scholarships, programs, faculty endowments, and campus improvements.

The best thing about working on the campaign? Meeting other alumni and friends who love Auburn as much as she does.

“I don’t know if every institution says they’re a family, but at Auburn it’s true—it’s so true,” Stukes says. “Getting to know all those Auburn people, hearing their stories and knowing how much the school meant to their families—it was incredible seeing the generational love for Auburn and the successes that Auburn graduates have achieved because of the preparation they received on the Plains.”

In 2018, she began a seven-year term on the Auburn University Foundation Board of Directors and now serves as past-president of the Women’s Philanthropy Board.

She and her husband, former basketball coach Rick Stukes ’77, are members of Auburn’s 1856 Society Founders Circle, the Petrie Society, and the Athletics Shug Jordan Society. Her philanthropic support spans the breadth of Auburn’s mission, touching nearly all of the colleges across the university, as well as the arts, outreach and student experience.

Over the past decade, she and her siblings established the Dr. Buddy Larry Thorne Endowed Scholarship and the Barbara Drummond Thorne Endowed Scholarship in honor of her parents. Stukes has supported Ever Auburn Scholarships to help students with financial needs and created an endowment to support the International Quality of Life Awards and global programming in the College of Human Sciences.

Most recently, she and her sisters Barbara “Babs” Thorne Anderson ’88 and Rebecca “Becky” Thorne Carroll ‘86 made a leadership gift in honor of their mother to help construct a new home for the College of Human Sciences, which will create the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility.

“My greatest value is family. I regret that not everyone has what I have when it comes to the love, support, and encouragement my family shares, and I feel called to help families through philanthropy. I partner with people who know how to meet needs effectively. It’s a team effort.”

 

A Legacy of Inspiration

As Stukes nears the end of her term on the Auburn University Foundation Board, her commitment to Auburn— and education advocacy for Alabama’s students—remains unwavering.

Beyond Auburn, Stukes serves on Samford University’s Board of Trustees, the Drummond Company Board, and the Walker Area Community Foundation Board.

Her vision for the future centers on empowering students and communities, creating opportunities for new initiatives in K-5 education that provide a strong foundation and continued support for higher education.

“I’m invested in student success,” Stukes said. “My hope is that students who have access to great education can grow to become change-makers in their communities.”