From Foundation for Reading Area Community College
The Foundation for Reading Area Community College (RACC) announces that a multi-million-dollar estate directive from the estate of the late James “Jim” Yocum has been transferred into the James Yocum Perpetual Trust to be used to augment the 25 Endowed Scholarships that Jim Yocum established at the Foundation for RACC.
This significant addition to the Trust will strengthen the lasting impact of the 25 endowed scholarships Jim Yocum established during his lifetime, expanding scholarship resources for generations of RACC students at one of Pennsylvania’s most economically challenged urban community colleges.
Jim Yocum served Reading Area Community College with uncommon devotion for 24 years as a Trustee, including four years as Chairman of the Board. In 1983, he founded the Foundation for RACC, creating the philanthropic engine that has since become one of the most successful community college foundations in Pennsylvania. His leadership, vision, and personal generosity helped shape the institution into a pillar of educational access and economic mobility for Berks County.
“During my weekly visits with Jim during the final years of his life, I would often describe the RACC students who were able to attend college through his kindness and generosity — a single mother determined to build a better future for her children, the youngest of eight striving to be the first in a family to graduate, a veteran returning to civilian life with resolve and purpose,” said Anthony “Tony” DeMarco, Executive Director of the Foundation for RACC & the Miller Center and Vice President for Advancement & Government Relations.
“Because of Jim’s perpetual trust and his extraordinary foresight, the number of students helped through his scholarships will continue to grow year after year, ensuring his legacy will endure forever.”
Jim established scholarships to honor his parents, grandparents, and siblings, ensuring that the Yocum family name would be forever associated with opportunity and education. He also created scholarships recognizing valued corporate partners and exemplary members of the RACC faculty and staff — a reflection of his deep gratitude and abiding respect for those who strengthen the college community.
RACC President Dr. Susan Looney reflected on the broader impact of Jim’s lifelong generosity: “Jim loved Berks County and the City of Reading. He understood that by supporting RACC students, he was investing in our entire community. The vast majority of our graduates remain in Berks County, strengthening our workforce, our businesses, and our civic life. Jim’s trust ensures that this investment in students and in our region will continue for generations.”
Jim and the Yocum family’s commitment to RACC dates back decades. Their first significant gift to the Foundation enabled the construction of the college’s first new building — the Yocum Library, a striking landmark along the banks of the Schuylkill River. For thousands of students, faculty, and staff, the library has served as both a sanctuary and a gateway to possibility.
The Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to Frederick R. Mogel, Esq., of Mogel, Speidel, Bobb & Kershner, for his decades of counsel to Jim and his careful stewardship of the Yocum Estate. The Foundation also expresses gratitude to Wilmington Trust for its diligent management of Jim’s perpetual trust, ensuring that his commitment to students will endure with care and integrity.
Jim Yocum’s contributions to Reading Area Community College cannot be measured solely in dollars. They are measured in degrees earned, careers launched, families strengthened, and communities renewed. His joyous spirit, generous heart, and unwavering belief in the power of education will never be forgotten.
Under the terms of the James Yocum Perpetual Trust, Reading Area Community College is a named beneficiary and is entitled to receive a share of the Trust’s annual net income, which will provide long-term support for scholarships for RACC students in perpetuity.
