For Ken Jackson, BS ’71 and MBA ’72, philanthropy isn’t an act of generosity; it’s an act of responsibility.
After decades of building businesses, supporting nonprofits, and watching Birmingham—and the University of Alabama at Birmingham—grow, he sees giving as a way to strengthen institutions that matter long after any individual’s involvement has ended.
“I don’t have children or grandchildren,” Jackson says. “The philanthropic involvement that I have, it’s my legacy. It’s an opportunity to build something that lasts.”
This belief recently took the form of a $100,000 gift to create the Ken Jackson Collat School of Business MBA Endowed Scholarship, which will support students in the UAB Master of Business Administration program. One of UAB’s first graduates in business, Jackson has long seen the MBA program as one of the university’s most powerful engines for leadership, problem-solving, and long-term impact.
For Jackson, this gift is about establishing the kind of legacy that can only come from creating a permanent source of support for UAB students.
Growing With UAB
Jackson’s connection to UAB, and specifically to what is now the Collat School of Business, stretches back to the university’s earliest years.
Jackson imbues his own story with a good bit of humor. “I flunked out of Auburn University,” he says. “Then, I had to regroup.”
The work of “regrouping” started at Jefferson State Community College. Jackson then transferred to UAB, earning his undergraduate degree in business in 1971 and becoming part of the university’s first graduating MBA class in 1972. “I was number two in a class of two,” he jokes.
But behind Jackson’s humor is deep appreciation. Simply put: “I was grateful,” he says. What the MBA program at the time lacked in size, it made up for in vigor. Surrounded by working professionals—engineers, accountants, and managers already deep into their careers—Jackson encountered business not as theory, but as practice.
“UAB gave me an opportunity. I got in early, and I was able to grow along with the institution,” he says.
Not only has he watched the university grow, but he’s also been a critical part of it as both past president of the UAB National Alumni Society (’92) and UAB Distinguished alumnus (’96), among numerous other important university recognitions.
Dudley C. Jackson, Inc.
This growth shaped both Jackson’s life philosophy and his career. After earning his MBA, he joined his parents’ small industrial distribution company, Dudley C. Jackson, Inc., in 1974. At the time, the business was struggling, heavily in debt, and generating about $400,000 in annual revenue.
Jackson became the company’s first dedicated salesperson, calling on industrial accounts factory by factory. Within a few short years, revenue surpassed $1 million, and in 1979 he was named president. Over the decades that followed, Jackson guided the company through economic downturns, expanded its reach, and learned hard lessons about sustainability, quality, and leadership. Yet when he reflects on his tenure, he consistently shifts the focus away from himself.
“All managers have to remember that their employees are their most important customers,” Jackson says.
Analytical by nature, Jackson gravitates toward troubleshooting. “I like fixing problems,” he explains. “And a lot of problems are solvable if you step back and look at the system.”
This perspective ultimately shaped one of the most consequential decisions of his career. When the time came to sell Dudley C. Jackson, Inc., Jackson chose a buyer from the Birmingham community, someone he had known and trusted for more than 25 years. This decision, he says, was guided by what would best serve the company’s loyal employees and the Birmingham community at large.
For Jackson, decisions like this one reflect a larger philosophy, one rooted in hard work, employee-centered leadership, and a responsibility to give back.
“It’s Not About Being Nice”
Jackson’s ability to think about the big picture has carried naturally into philanthropy. Over the years, he’s supported numerous local causes, often through hands-on involvement. With a voice perfect for radio and a penchant for drama, Jackson has volunteered as a live auctioneer for hundreds of charitable events in Birmingham, raising millions of dollars for nonprofits across the community. He has also given generously to animal welfare organizations, local institutions, and UAB itself. In 1996, while president of Dudley C. Jackson, Inc., Jackson established the Ken Jackson Endowed Scholarship in Industrial Distribution.
What distinguishes his giving, he says, is intention…and genuine enjoyment. “It’s not about being nice,” Jackson explains. “It’s about believing in something and wanting it to work, and it’s also fun!”
For Jackson, giving can also be commemorative. In 2018, he donated the 8-foot bronze statue, “Blaze Means Business,” which stands guard in Blazer Pride Plaza at the main entrance of the Collat School of Business. The statue of Blaze honors his more than 30-year friendship with Charles Collat.
Jackson’s namesake endowed scholarship reflects the mindset that philanthropy is about intention and relationships. He believes the Collat School of Business prepares leaders who understand how to build organizations, manage complexity, improve systems, and build relationships. These are skills that ripple far beyond the boardroom.
Collat School of Business Dean Christopher L. Shook, Ph.D., agrees: “For more than 50 years, Ken Jackson has been an integral part of UAB’s business school, first as a student and later as a passionate alumnus and donor. He believes deeply in what we do and is personally committed to helping our students succeed, not just in business, but in life.”
Jackson is clear about the type of recipient he hopes the scholarship will help: students with promise who genuinely need the financial support. “I don’t want the person who already has every resource,” he says. “I want the student who might not be able to do [the MBA] otherwise.”
Don’t Stress, Just Pay It Forward
Reducing stress is a recurring theme in Jackson’s thinking, and it is one reason he believes scholarships matter. Throughout his career, he has watched talented people take on unnecessary pressure—financial, professional, and personal—often when a relatively small intervention would change the outcome.
“Stress kills people,” Jackson says bluntly. And if a scholarship eases even a portion of the burden for MBA students, he considers it a success. “Maybe they don’t have to work that extra job,” he says. “Maybe it helps tip the scale so they can stay in the program. That’s enough.”
Jackson also hopes the scholarship carries forward his broader values. While he insists the focus should never be on him, he does want students to understand that the support they receive came from someone who believes deeply in paying it forward.
“If someone helps you on your path,” he says, “and later you’re in a position to help someone else, that’s how this keeps going.”
A Statement of Trust
Now in his mid-70s and as sharp and energetic as ever, Jackson describes his current phase of life with characteristic humor. He likes to say that his full-time job is not having a job. This freedom allows him to continue engaging with the community, supporting projects he believes in, and investing in his life’s passions. UAB remains central among them.
“Being able to be a part of UAB’s history, and to know that this scholarship will keep supporting students long after I’m gone—that matters to me,” Jackson says.
For Ken Jackson, an endowed scholarship is more than a financial instrument. It is a statement of trust in the future of UAB, in the Collat School of Business, and in the MBA students who will carry that education forward into the communities they serve.