Ken Beckley, BS’62, and his wife Audrey, BS’64, have dedicated the last four decades to philanthropy and service to Indiana University. Ken served as president and CEO of the IU Alumni Association from 2002-07 and received the university’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2008. In 2007, Audrey was the recipient of the Gertrude Rich Award for her service to the IU Alumni Association.
The Beckleys are continuing their generosity by establishing the Kenneth A. Beckley and Audrey J. (Hofelich) Beckley Media Technology Fund at The Media School. The endowment will be used to finance technology and equipment needs in Franklin Hall, and qualifies for the university match that is part of IU’s Bicentennial Campaign.
In honor of their gift, a studio in The Media School’s future home will be named Kenneth Beckley and Audrey (Hofelich) Beckley Studio. commonly known as the Beckley Studio.
“To be able to support this new school that will prepare students for careers and teach them the fundamentals of broadcasting means a great deal to me,” Ken said. “We are especially excited to be involved with the project in a way that will teach practical studio production.”
Ken, who worked at WTHI in Terre Haute, Indiana; WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina; and WFBM/WRTV in Indianapolis during his 14-year television news career, attributes his success in the field to his start at IU.
“The practical experiences I had in radio and television at IU set me up for my career, but my academics taught me how to think and reason, which shaped my career as well,” he said.
Audrey Beckley spent 28 years working as a medical technologist in Indianapolis, but said service always has been an important endeavor for her. She is an active volunteer civic organizations and education, as well as at her church.
“We’ve always believed that people should give back according to their means,” she said. “We find ways to do this through higher education, church and broader society.”
In addition to finding success in broadcast news, Ken Beckley also was the first director of university relations for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, served as executive vice president for H.H. Gregg in Indianapolis and published two fictional novels.
The Beckleys also are contributing to the new Media Student Internship Endowment Fund as an additional gift to the university. The fund will finance paid internships with WFIU and WTIU for students enrolled in The Media School. Internships will be offered in areas such as studio production, media marketing, media management, and news writing and reporting, among others. The fund will bring broadcast experts to campus annually to mentor students
Ken Beckley said taking these next steps in his philanthropic efforts feels natural.
“I’m a very proud alumnus. We’ve been giving back for four decades, and this gift is just an extension of what we believe in,” he said.