In February 1997, Millsaps Board member Robert N. Leggett Jr., B.A. 1962, and his wife Dee, of Great Falls, Virginia, participated in a group sightseeing and educational trip in Yellowstone National Park sponsored by the National Parks and Conservation Association. On the trip, they observed wildlife in less traveled areas of the park, including elk, bison, coyotes, and the newly reintroduced Yellowstone wolves. Major benefactors of the United Methodist Church, Millsaps College, and many environmental groups, the Leggetts are generous with their financial resources, but only commit to those organizations where their gifts can have maximum impact. Y.E.S. was the perfect candidate for the Leggetts' support. Located in Bozeman, Montana, the nonprofit educational organization runs wildlife expeditions for the public and also conducts intensive scientific studies of the Yellowstone ecosystem.
Federal grants are increasingly rare and are often victims of last-minute congressional budget cuts.
Y.E.S. needed to establish a new relationship centered on a long-term research commitment. Leggett suggested to Crabtree that he should consider liberal arts colleges. Crabtree said he had been considering such an arrangement. Millsaps, Leggett told him. That's the answer.