Legacy Foundation has received a donation from Ark City residents Bill and Judy Docking to establish an endowment for funding local programs.
The $250,000 gift created the Bill and Judy Docking Endowed Fund.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors will direct the Fund; however, the Dockings have shared their request the highest priority be support for tax-exempt organizations located in Cowley County that serve developmentally and/or intellectually challenged individuals.
“This endowment demonstrates the Dockings’ awareness of the need to retain wealth in our community through private gifts reinvesting resources back into the places where they earned their living and enjoyed a good life,” Legacy Foundation Chair Janis Haynes, said. “They are continuing the Docking family’s long dedication to the people of Cowley County and Kansas.”
In 1956, Bob and Meredith Docking and their two children, Bill and Tom, moved from Lawrence to Ark City in order for Bob to purchase Union State Bank. Previously, the Docking family had deep banking roots in Lawrence. In November 1966, Bob was elected governor of Kansas. His father, George, served as Kansas governor from 1957-1961.
Following his educational pursuits at Kansas University, with degrees in political science, law and an MBA, Bill moved to Kansas City where he worked as a certified public accountant and later in private business until moving back to Arkansas City in 1983 to run USB and other family investments. For ten years, Bill was privileged to serve on the Kansas Board of Regents.
He has also served as president of the Kansas Bankers Association. For many years, he has been a director of the Cowley College Foundation and a trustee and executive committee member of the Kansas University Endowment Association.
Judy and Bill married in 1995.
A native of Blackwell, Oklahoma, Judy is a retired nurse.
Legacy Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic organization incorporated in September 1996 by a volunteer board of directors. Legacy has current net assets of over $6.9 million. Since 2000, Legacy Foundation has received contributions totaling more than $8 million and distributed nearly $3 million in grants.
(Editor’s note: Bill Docking is an owner of KSOK Radio, which is a news partner of NewsCow.net.)
