Man gives up seat for scholarship

Man gives up seat for scholarship
Saturday, February 23, 2008

With tickets to tonight's sold-out Tigers-Vols game at FedExForum fetching thousands, Michael Terry decided to give up his ticket too.

But instead of cashing in, the retired Memphis businessman and season-ticket holder hatched a plot to help future University of Memphis students.

"I wanted to see if there was a way we could try and convert the value that was built up in the ticket to some good," he said.

Terry agreed to give his friend, Memphis attorney Richard Glassman, his lower-level ticket at midcourt on the condition that Glassman make a donation to a U of M scholarship fund.

In turn, Glassman's family contributed $5,000 to the Anna Caroline Menkel Scholarship Fund, which honors a St. Agnes Academy (Memphis) student who died in a 2005 car accident.

Glassman, past president of the U of M Alumni Association, is giving the ticket to his son-in-law, who's flying in from Richmond, Va., to watch the game.

Glassman said there's a great need for scholarship funds at the U of M.

"We have so many kids that leave Memphis. Some of our brightest leave Memphis. And if they knew a little bit more about the University of Memphis, we might get some of them to stay, especially with good scholarships," he said.

Terry, whose wife is going to the game with the couple's other season ticket, plans to watch the game at a nearby bar, then meet friends to "enjoy the victory."

"I'll miss two hours of one of the best basketball games, perhaps ever ..." Terry said. "But in the long run, everybody will be better off."

- Michael Erskine: 529-5857