Florence Couple Leaves $2 Million to UA; Gift to Go to Student Scholarships

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama has received a $2 million gift from the estate of the late Arnold and Julia Teks of Florence. The gift will be used for student scholarships.

“We are deeply appreciative of the generosity of the Teks and know that future students will benefit greatly from their giving back to the Capstone,” said Dr. Robert E. Witt, UA president.

Arnold Teks, an alumnus of the UA School of Law and longtime Florence city attorney, died in 1999 and his wife Julia, his law firm’s office manager, died in 2004.

The Teks had no children, and they lived a modest life, according to Greg Hyde, an attorney who knew the couple. The firm’s office space was sparsely furnished with old metal desks, Hyde said.

“The amount of this gift came as a complete surprise to me, but it does not surprise me that they would be so generous with their savings,” said Hyde.