Finch Steps Up to Secure Excellence at Uni High

Did you know the University of Illinois has a laboratory high school on the Urbana campus? Many friends and alumni do not; and even more are completely unaware that University Laboratory High School, affectionately known as Uni High, is consistently ranked at the very top of preparatory high schools nationwide.

John Finch is a 1952 graduate of Uni High, and his brother, Frank, graduated a few years earlier, in 1949. Their late father, Frank Finch Sr., was a U of I professor at that time. John went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the U of I and then earned a medical degree from Washington University. During his distinguished career, Dr. Finch practiced pediatric medicine in Minnesota and later specialized in radiology, mostly in Sarasota, Florida, where he is now retired.

Ten years ago, when Finch was planning his estate, he made a very generous six-figure provision to establish an endowment that will support various initiatives at Uni High. “My brother and I were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to be prepared for our higher educations at Uni,” he states. Frank Finch went on to law school and established a very successful practice on the east coast.

More recently, when Finch became aware of an immediate and pressing need, he pledged annual gifts of $10,000 specifically to enhance the compensation of the excellent and highly qualified teachers at Uni High. “It’s disturbing to me that salaries at Uni are typically 20%-25% less than the local public high schools,” Finch points out. “The loss of a single teacher because of this is unacceptable to me.”

The annual gifts Finch is making will also be endowed with a second estate gift provision, which means his lifetime support of Uni faculty will continue after his lifetime in perpetuity. “Those of us who have been so very blessed with our Uni High education, as well as the parents of current or former Uni High students, should now help ensure the faculty will be fairly compensated,” concludes Finch.

To learn more about Uni High and ways you can help, go to: uni.illinois.edu/support-uni

The U of I Foundation gift planning staff is pleased to answer your questions and offer assistance at any time. Please contact the Foundation to learn more.