Estate of late Romanza Johnson gifts WKU $2.8 million
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A late local educator and philanthropist contributed a significant gift to Western Kentucky University.
According to a WKU release, the estate of the late Romanza Johnson includes a $ 2.8 million gift to the university.
Officials say the gift will honor Johnson’s legacy and support several areas at the university.
At Friday’s WKU Board of Regents meeting, officials announced that Johnson’s name will be recognized in several areas across campus.
Officials say Johnson supported various scholarship funds, Agriculture & Food Science, Family and Consumer Sciences, Education, Athletics, Public Media, the Kentucky Museum and more.
What They’re Saying
“Romanza left her entire estate to the University, creating a lasting legacy that will benefit generations of WKU students,” said Mike Reynolds, Senior Partner at Reynolds Johnston Hinton LLP and attorney for Johnson. “Throughout her life, Romanza had a remarkable gift for bringing people together, mentoring younger volunteers and turning ideas into action. Hundreds of former students, longtime associates and friends credit their own commitment to volunteerism and community service to their association with Romanza.
“Romanza was known throughout the area, and especially at WKU, for her volunteerism and dedication to the community,” WKU President Timothy C. Caboni said. “Her areas of support are both wide-ranging and strategic—showing how she invested in all aspects of the community to benefit the areas that meant the most to her and those in need. We are thankful that her legacy will continue at WKU through this meaningful estate gift.”
“Romanza’s longtime, thoughtful philanthropy shows how a donor can support the wider Bowling Green and Warren County community through giving to WKU,” said Dr. Anthony McAdoo, Interim Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement. “She invested her time, energy and skills in many different organizations that all benefited from her passion and leadership. Through her generous estate gift, she will continue to make a difference by supporting WKU students, programs and initiatives that foster community and service in perpetuity.”
About Romanza Johnson
A two-time WKU alumna, Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Science Education in 1960 and a Master of Arts in Education in Family and Consumer Science Education in 1968. She died on May 7, 2025.
After a successful career as a teacher and Home Economist at Bowling Green Municipal Utilities, her commitment to service earned her numerous accolades on local, regional and international platforms. At WKU, she often volunteered with the Family and Consumer Sciences program, and she served on the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences Board, the Nursing Advisory Board, the Friends of Women’s Studies and the WKU Public Media Community Advisors, among others. She was honored with the WKU Distinguished Service Medal in 2003 and recognized at the 2023 Hilltopper Excellence Awards with the WKU Distinguished Medal of Community and Public Service.
Having led 27 organizations in various capacities, including as President and/or Committee Chair, Johnson’s legacy of service is inspirational. Notably, she played a pivotal role in founding organizations that include the Dream Factory of Bowling Green, Houchens Center for Women, Hospice of Southern Kentucky and the Rape Crisis Center. She also devoted her efforts to institutions like the American Heart Association, Kentucky March of Dimes, Kentucky Friends of 4-H, Kids on the Block, United Way of Southern Kentucky and the Bowling Green Woman’s Club.
Johnson was recognized as the 1986 Athena Award Winner, a Jefferson Award Winner in 2004 and the recipient of the South Central Kentuckian of the Year in 2013. She was also honored as a Lifetime Member of The Salvation Army of Bowling Green’s Advisory Board for her many years of service.
The late Ralph Johnson, who died on March 12, 2012, was a retired civil engineer for the USDA. After retirement, he was a hobby farmer and served as President of the Warren County Saddle Club and the Bowling Green Horse Association. In 1990, he was named the Warren County Conservationist of the Year. He was well-known for showing Tennessee Walking Horses, especially his horse Sundust Parader.
At the time of her death, Romanza Johnson was a Lifetime Member of the WKU Alumni Association and had given back to the University for 43 consecutive years.
