Roberta Cohea: A Legacy of Giving

For Roberta Cohea, living life to the fullest meant living modestly so all she left behind could bless someone else.

She graduated from the University in 1950 and returned to Oklahoma, settling near Ardmore. An education major, she taught in public schools until her retirement.

Cohea always held Harding very near to her heart. She kept in close contact with classmate Mildred Bell who kept her up to date on happenings at the University. Over the years, Cohea also enjoyed many exciting excursions with others in the Harding Alumni and Friends Travel Club.

Never marrying, she had no children and outlived her entire family. She inherited her parents' family farm as well as her sister's estate. She was cautious, made good investments and lived in such a way that she could accrue significant savings. Her goal, however, was not to store up treasures here on earth. She was working to leave behind opportunities and blessings for others.

In addition to supporting her local church, McLish Avenue Church of Christ, she wanted to do something for her alma mater. She started out in 1965 by making donations periodically and later set up gift annuities. She became a member of the President's Council and started donating her possessions when she no longer needed them. In 2005, she gave her car when she could no longer drive.

As Cohea began to age, she encountered various health problems. She moved into an assisted living community in 2002. Realizing she no longer needed her house, she sold it and donated the proceeds to Harding. Even after she moved out of her home, she continued to seek opportunities to give.

Her contributions have left their mark on campus. Her vehicle, a 1989 Ford LTD Crown Victoria, is still used today by health services to transport sick students to the doctor. She kept a framed photo of students using the car near her bed; it delighted her to see the good things being done with her gift.

In December 2000, she merged her love for Harding with a passion for orphans, and the C.M. Cohea, Roberta Cohea and Effie C. Emerson Endowed Scholarship Fund was established. Cohea left her entire estate of $2.1 million to Harding upon her death in 2006.

Her hope was for the fund to honor her father and sister and create an avenue for orphans from Oklahoma and across the U.S. to attend Harding. The fund exists to enable these students to graduate free of debt and covers tuition or room and board, wherever the financial need may be.

Those who knew Cohea thought of her as a woman of modest means. She shared a small, simple house with her sister and lived life frugally without extravagance. Despite her appearance as someone with little to give, Cohea left behind a sizable estate. She lived her life so that she could bless others in a tremendous way, often doing with less so that she could help someone when she was gone.