A memorial fund has been established to honor the life and work of MCA trustee and friend, Dr. Jerrold M. Jung.
Jerry was a long-standing trustee of Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) and served four consecutive terms as board chairman. MCA was Jerry’s primary volunteer leadership and philanthropic interest for the last decade of his life. He had a transforming and indelible influence on MCA’s rise to national prominence in private higher education during that time. Jerry was beloved by MCA member presidents, trustees and staff alike. Through the dedication of his children (Claire, Julie, and Jake), now MCA trustees, Jerry’s legacy will continue to shape our work and significance for years to come.
At the top of his class at Tulane, Jerry had long been an advocate of private higher education. His involvement with MCA followed his father’s footsteps on the board of trustees nearly 40 years ago. As in his other pursuits, Jerry raised MCA’s aspirations and infused innovation into every aspect of its activities. For that, our board and college and university presidents, in particular, are enormously grateful. His service was held in high esteem throughout both Michigan’s public and private sectors and was honored with MCA’s highest recognition in 2022, the Independent Pathways Award. In addition, Dr. Jung received honorary doctorates from Adrian College and Alma College during his celebrated tenure on the MCA board.
Jerry was a passionate promoter of school choice for Michigan high school families and leveraged countless financial and programmatic resources for underserved urban schools. He spearheaded new approaches to high school science learning through the creation of the Third 90 Network, a year-long outdoor science immersion program that impacted hundreds of children each year. His work to bridge higher education and business at all levels in our state is legendary and ignited a movement among private higher education consortia nationally. Through these and other areas of impact, Jerry boldly strengthened Michigan’s independent education sector and inspired many to follow his example.
In recognition of Jerry’s remarkable influence on business, education, and the environment, a special MCA fund has been created to honor his public service legacy. The Dr. Jerrold M. Jung Memorial Fund will support cutting-edge MCA initiatives to which Jerry was committed as board chair, inspire new engagement in MCA’s mission, and fortify Michigan’s place as a national leader in private higher education. This will be a revolving source of support each year, and investment priorities from funds raised will be determined by the MCA board of trustees.
