Supporter Stories
Vice Admiral Earl Frank Rectanus (1926-2011)
 The Institute recently received a generous bequest from the estate of Vice Admiral Earl Frank Rectanus, a loyal Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute supporter of 18 years.
Vice Admiral Rectanus was a remarkable man who bravely served his country and earned more than 17 separate awards and honors. His thirty-one year career in U.S. Naval Intelligence began in July 1945 and spanned the globe, from the Western Pacific to the Eastern Atlantic, and included assignments in Moscow, Vietnam, the Middle East, London and Washington.
He became the Director of Naval Intelligence and Commander of the Naval Intelligence Command in 1973. In the two years prior to his retirement in March 1976, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.
We gratefully remember his service to our nation and his friendship to the Luce Institute. His gift will continue his wonderful legacy.
Supporter Profile — Mel and Linda Teetz
 Mr. and Mrs. Teetz, Luce Circle of Friends members, have been supporters of the Institute for nearly 5 years. They have reached above and beyond to help the Institute prepare a new generation of conservative women leaders.
While President Michelle Easton was in the Florida area this past February, Mrs. Teetz pulled together a group of 15 women who are active in promoting conservative ideas in the Vero Beach area. She opened her beautiful home for a discussion on the influence of the Institute on young women and to help us reach out to new friends. Mrs. Teetz also arranged for Michelle to speak on air with a local radio host to explain the importance of the Institute's outreach to young women for the future of the nation.
Thinking that moving from Atlanta to Florida would make life easier, Mr. and Mrs. Teetz still keep a busy schedule, staying at the forefront of the policy debate, working with local charities, and spending time with their two wonderful grandsons and their son and daughter. They are bold and tireless advocates for conservative principles, and we are so grateful for their help in reaching more of America's young women.
Doreen Chadbourne Leaves Generous Annuity To Continue Institute's Work She Valued So Highly
Jeanette "Doreen" Chadbourne, a long-time friend and benefactor of the Luce Policy Institute, passed away on August 27, 2010, leaving a generous annuity to the Institute. Her family and friends will miss her and the extraordinary spirit that made her life so remarkable.
 "I have lived a charmed life," Doreen was quick to say. Born in Canada, Doreen moved to the United States with her mother and brother when she was three. A young child during the Great Depression, she remembers one evening when a man from a national charity came to her family's door asking for a collection to give to the poor. Although her mother did not have any money to give the man, she did welcome him into their home to talk and rest. The kind gentleman allowed little Doreen, an outgoing child, to crawl up on his lap. When Doreen's mother put her to bed that evening, she found that their unexpected guest had placed $2 in Doreen's pocket, which fed her family for the next three days. This small act of kindness during a time of such difficult hardships sparked a ‘heart of gratitude' in Doreen that influenced her throughout her life.
A true conservative woman with a strong work ethic, Doreen started her first job at 18 years of age working for Western Union earning $0.39 an hour. She quickly rose to a supervisory level managing 150 housewives who personally delivered telegrams to military families.
In 1943, Doreen felt it was time to volunteer for her country. Volunteering for the U.S. Women's Army Corps (WACs) in preparation for service in World War II, she learned that she did not have citizenship and was not eligible to enlist in the WACs. Not to be deterred, Doreen returned to Canada where she joined the Royal Air Force as a radar operator and served in Scotland from 1944 until the war's end.
When Doreen returned to the States, she rejoined Western Union and worked her way back up through the ranks. She also enrolled in night school to prepare for her citizenship examination, which she passed with flying colors.
Doreen and her husband, Bill, were married in 1953. They had 42 wonderful years together raising a son and expanding his equipment leasing business before Bill died in a tragic automobile accident in 1994. She credited her husband-and the way he lived his life-for inspiring her generosity to so many causes.
At last count, she was supporting 23 different organizations, including the Luce Institute, through charitable gift annuities. "I think gift annuities are a blessing-you have income for life and you save on taxes and are able to make an investment in people. Helping others through charitable gift annuities makes me feel blessed."
Doreen was an encourager who told us often how very much she appreciated the Institute's work of promoting and preparing conservative women leaders. We are grateful for the many years of friendship we enjoyed with her, and we will miss her.
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