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Growing up in Crawfordsville, Max Servies '58 knew all along where he
wanted to attend college: Wabash.
"I didn't have to go anywhere else to find the best small college in the
world," said Max, a legendary Wabash wrestling coach for 40 seasons who
also served for 33 years as athletic director before his retirement in
2000. "Wabash was right there."
Max's association with the College began in 1954 when he was a freshman
wrestler and football player for the Little Giants. The biology major has
fond memories of professors who genuinely cared about their students. For
example, one invited his class out to a restaurant to celebrate the
supposed publication of his book-only to surprise Max with a birthday cake,
the real reason for the gathering.
Max earned a master's degree from Purdue University and taught and coached
at Crawfordsville High School before returning to Wabash in 1960 as head
wrestling coach and assistant football and track coach. He proved the truth
of his motto "Victory is Sweat" with 38 consecutive winning seasons and a
career record of 487-118-8. His 1999-2000 team was named the GPA National
Champions at the NCAA Division III Championships-the second time in three
years that his squad led the nation academically.
Asked the secret of coaching success, Max laughed. "Oh gosh, I was in the
right place at the right time," he said. "I had a tremendous group of
athletes to draw from, so it was easy and fun. People who are involved with
Wabash are naturally winners."
Max and his wife Nancy, who divide their time between Florida and
Crawfordsville, have six children and 21 grandchildren. When they recently
finalized a testamentary charitable remainder trust with Wabash, they did
so with qualified retirement-plan assets-which would have been the most
heavily taxed part of their estate if left to their family. When Max and
Nancy die, their beneficiaries will receive payments for life (or a
specified period of years) from the trust, and then the College will
receive the remaining assets.
"It doesn't take away from anything we want to leave the kids," Max said.
"If you're like us and don't have anything to give but retirement funds,
it's the best way to give to Wabash."
Max encouraged other alumni to consider making a planned gift to the
College. "If it hadn't been for Wabash, I don't know where I would have
been," he said. "I'm sure everybody who went there feels the same way."
