The importance of financial assistance to students is self-evident to us, having been the beneficiary of fellowships supporting our graduate studies at the University of Chicago. Thus, we began searching for a mechanism to “pay it forward” to the next generation of atmospheric scientists. Our children and grandchild shared this desire as well, also as a meaningful way to remember us upon our passing. A portion of our estate is therefore designated to support an AMS scholarship. But that will be in the future. We also wanted to help out now. The concept of a Living Endowment provided a perfect solution.

At the 2018 AMS Annual Meeting we had the great pleasure of being introduced to the first recipient of the Liv and Walt Lyons Scholarship, the first of what we hope will be many more such meetings. How did we do this? It was quite simple, really. Each month, an automated deduction from our checking account goes to an AMS fund for the next year’s award. After the initial set up, there is no muss, no fuss, no bother. Typical of such deductions, we hardly notice it. Once our final estate plans are fulfilled, the scholarship will live on in perpetuity, but we still have the honor to personally meet and encourage the future leaders of our field. 

—Walt and Liv Lyons