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IU McKinney is a tradition for the Tanner family—and so is giving. 

Three generations of lawyers—the late John Tanner, ’63 (pictured, left), Jill Tanner, ’85, Joe Tanner, ’87, and their son, Mitch Tanner, ‘19–have all earned their J.D. degrees from the law school (Joe, Mitch and Jill are pictured below at Mitch's commencement ceremony).

John Tanner taught history while attending law school in the early ‘60s, then returned home to Winchester, Indiana, where he and his father had a law practice that then became Tanner & Tanner. Joe went on to IU McKinney, too, where he claims he met Jill—although her recollection differs—and the two both began their law careers at Baker & Daniels, now Faegre Drinker, where Joe continues as partner. Jill is now retired.

Their son, Mitch, followed in their footsteps at McKinney, and is a law clerk for the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Indiana. 

That’s three generations of McKinney graduates, and four generations of Tanner attorneys. So, when they began having conversations with IU McKinney Dean Andy Klein about how they might channel their giving, it seemed appropriate to name a scholarship for what had become a true family calling. They created the Tanner Family Scholarship at IU McKinney in 2019. 

Joe counts himself lucky that his parents could help him with law school costs in the 1980s, but he’s a believer in giving back to the next generation. “In our family, it was a given that you would help the institutions that helped you,” he says.

Their credo was passed down to Mitch, who frequently participated in IU Day, an event each April designed to celebrate—and support—all things IU, including the generosity of alumni, students, faculty and staff. 

“My parents set a very good example,” Mitch says. “Giving back is definitely a family value. I thought it was important to give as much as I could, even if it was just a measly gift from a student.” 

Mitch says that he saw firsthand how critical scholarships were to law school classmates. “You can see the difference it makes when a computer needs to be replaced or a car breaks down – a scholarship provides a bit of a cushion,” he says.  “I’m glad my parents have chosen to give in that way.”

Now as an alum, Mitch is a class agent, encouraging his former classmates to give annually. “I actually look forward to giving, and encouraging others to give,” he says. “If our law school class is generous, it means we are successful.”

Creating the Tanner Family scholarship with the IU Foundation was easy, according to Jill. One of the biggest misconceptions that exists is that the size of the gift matters. “You don’t have to donate millions to make a difference,” Joe says.

In fact, that’s just what the Tanners hope happens. “A scholarship fund is a very tangible gift,” Jill says. “We know that there will be students who benefit.” 

To learn more about creating a scholarship please contact Nan Edgerton, Assistant Dean for Development, at 317-274-8147 or nanedge@iu.edu.