Alma Jacobs

Alma Jacobs, born in Philadelphia, spent her entire life in and around the areas served by Montgomery County Community College. From her education at Bryn Mawr College and University of Pennsylvania, to her successful career with Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, she became imbedded in the surrounding communities. This included her support of Montgomery County Community College which extends back many years, beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, when she served as a member of the Foundation Board of Directors. She also served on the Leading Women Steering Committee, President’s Advisory Council on the Arts and Leading Women in Philanthropy Giving Circle. However, Mrs. Jacob’s dedication to the College went far beyond her service and volunteerism.

Inspired to ensure students had access to top quality education and opportunities, Mrs. Jacobs donated to a number of initiatives over the years. In particular, due to her experience with and passion for radio broadcasts, Mrs. Jacobs and her husband, J. Alexander Jacobs, made a generous donation in support of a recording studio located in MCCC’s Advanced Technology Center. Here students could record, edit and produce the radio show, “MCCC on the Air.” In fact, Mrs. Jacobs would even appear as a guest on the show and share her experiences with students. Jacobs and her husband also established the J. Alexander and Alma Jacobs scholarship to support students in the Culinary Arts Institute programs at MCCC.

As one of the College’s longest and most dedicated partners, it was no surprise that the College and its Board of Trustees decided to award Jacobs with an honorary degree in 2008 as well as a permanent honorary position on the MCCC Foundation Board. When Mrs. Jacobs passed away in 2019, it was a heartbreaking loss to the entire MCCC community. However, Mrs. Jacobs had always intended for her love and support of MCCC to continue beyond her living days. In 2021, the MCCC Foundation received a $576,000 gift from Mrs. Jacobs’ estate, one of the largest estate gifts in the institutions history, to support the greatest needs of the College and its students. The Foundation Board, grateful for the generosity and trust represented in this gift, voted to allocate $100,000 of the funds to establish the Dr. Bastecki-Perez Presidential Scholarship sponsored by the Estate of Alma Jacobs. As an endowed fund, this scholarship will benefit students in perpetuity, ensuring Mrs. Jacobs’ legacy and her desire to help our students are carried on forever.