Jerri Barden Perkins, MD, came to Mary Washington aspiring to become a doctor. Growing up in a home where money was tight, a “small scholarship” of $100 made a huge difference, she said.
Now she’s helping current students succeed through her own gifts to UMW, including the John C. and Jerri Barden Perkins ’61 College of Arts and Sciences Student Research Endowment, which awarded scholarship funds to rising seniors Ava Spencer ’23 and Kevin Leong ’23 at the 2022 Summer Science Institute in July.
“At Mary Washington, I found the best possible education and professors who ensured that I was prepared for my career,” said Jerri, who paid her way through college with government loans and part-time jobs. A chemistry major, she says her liberal arts and sciences education also exposed her to lifelong passions like opera, art, dance, and golf.
Jerri later attended the Medical College of Virginia in her hometown of Richmond and earned a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, where she conducted trailblazing research on rheumatoid arthritis. She then became an FDA medical officer, recommending approval for one of the first drugs to combat AIDS. She presented her work around the world and opened Perkins & Perkins, a consulting firm to protect the rights of patients in clinical trials, in partnership with husband Cal, a Harvard grad who practiced internal medicine.
Her first gift to Mary Washington was in the same amount as that scholarship that helped her get started as an undergrad all those years ago – but she didn’t stop there. She soon funded one in her own name and became a member of UMW’s Washington and Heritage societies.
“Whenever students phoned to ask for donations, Cal always encouraged them to call me Dr. Perkins,” she said. “We attended a study abroad luncheon once, and he was so impressed with the quality of education at Mary Washington. He told me that my school would benefit more from our gifts than Harvard.”
When Cal passed away in 2009, Jerri worked with UMW’s Jan Clarke to establish three endowments in her late husband’s honor. One provides funds for UMW students studying abroad, while another supports the Classics, Philosophy, and Religion department, one of Cal’s particular areas of interest.
Helping Mary Washington students succeed is incredibly rewarding, she said. “It brings me such joy to support students during my lifetime.”
Q: What would you say to fellow alums who are considering endowing a scholarship?
A: Do it now so you can see the benefits and help UMW students learn and grow just the way you did.
Q: What’s your most meaningful Mary Washington memory?
A: Receiving the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2019.
Q: Where did you like spending time on campus?
A: I loved the library in Trinkle (now James Farmer Hall) as a student. I have donated artwork that’s now in the Classics department and love visiting the Zen Garden outside the building.
Q: What was your favorite Mary Washington tradition?
A: Celebrating May Day. I love the campus when it’s in full bloom. I had a professor who taught astronomy, and I can recall stargazing on a spring night.
Q: How do you spend your free time?
A: Sailing, skiing, biking, and traveling. I’m excited to return to Paris this fall and recently went sailing near my home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, with Jan Clarke and Vicki Sprague Ravenel ’77.
To learn more about establishing scholarships, please contact the Office of University Advancement at (540) 654-1024 or advance@umw.edu.
This story originally ran in the Advancing Mary Washington newsletter and was written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04.
Leave a Reply