Alumni who hear about the late John F. Horty Jr.'s $750,000 bequest to the University might imagine him a moneyed grad.

Mr. Horty, in fact, lived frugally in a small house in Mendenhall, Pa., and saved money so he could donate to UD, according to John "Rex" Kaiser AS '51, his executor, his Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brother, and his friend since first grade.

"This was his entire estate,' Kaiser said. "He made every effort to live frugally because he knew what he saved he could give to the University. He did it in a very quiet way.''

Kaiser said Mr. Horty had an uncommon bond with the University. "I don't know if he ever said it quite aloud, but he thoroughly enjoyed his time there. He loved his courses. He was so appreciative and he spoke so highly of, I think, just about every teacher he'd ever had.''

He made annual gifts to the University for 50 years.

"It's just not as though this were a wealthy person who left 20 times as much money but it was only 10 percent of his estate,'' Kaiser said. "That's one thing, but to think so highly of his school that he gave 98 percent of his estate, that's something else.

Mr. Horty earned his living writing the technical information packaged with prescription drugs. He also wrote about architecture, books and history for The Kennett Paper near his home.

Mr. Horty was a charter member of the board of directors of the Friends of Goodstay Gardens. He also volunteered with the Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Historical Society, Bayard Taylor Library and Preservation Delaware.

He also enjoyed the University as an alum, often attending student productions at Mitchell Hall and Hartshorn Hall.

College of Arts and Science students will be eligible for scholarships under the new John F. Horty Jr. '49 Scholarship Fund established in his memory.