A Light on the Hill: How a Singular Family Foundation Transformed King

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

— Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

 In 1857, ten years before King University was established, Scottish native Thomas Maclellan made a covenant committing control of his life and any resulting proceeds to God. He likely had little idea of how many others would be uplifted as a result of his faithfulness – not only in Scotland and in his own lifetime, but in lands he had not visited and in centuries beyond his own.

More than three decades after signing his covenant, Thomas found his way to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he invested in a fledgling company that worked to insure at-risk coal miners and sawmill workers. With his support the company prospered, and a decade into the 20^th century, it had grown from a small business serving only Tennesseans to a reach of 15 states. Now in 2025, it is known as the Unum Group and ranked as a Fortune 500 company.

Thomas’ legacy has been carried on by his descendants, who have upheld his covenant to glorify God with the fruits of their work. One of the central avenues for their support of practical and spiritual needs has been The Maclellan Foundation, Inc., which has provided financial and leadership resources to faith-based ministries since 1945.

The third-generation leader of the foundation, Hugh O. Maclellan, Jr., (1939 – 2025) played an instrumental role in ensuring King University’s continuing existence and growth, bearing great influence on the Christian academic community that exists today. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and the Wharton School of Finance, Maclellan provided guidance and much needed stewardship to King during some of its most challenging times.

During the late 1970s his advocacy saved the college from closing, and he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1979 until 2001. Through his family’s foundations, including the Helen M. Tipton Foundation, he helped provide extraordinary annual gifts that kept King operational for more than 20 years.

His unparalleled generosity was perhaps most visible in 1998, when he and his family helped launch the Building Meaningful Lives Campaign on behalf of King. Maclellan greatly furthered progress toward the $50 million goal by offering a $12 million challenge grant which was soon met. As a result, the campaign ended early, exceeded its goal by a million dollars, and helped transform King’s facilities, programs, and campus.

This included the establishment of new schools in business and economics, Christian mission, and education, along with enhancements of the existing College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Nursing. It also included the construction of the Student Center Complex and athletic fields, additional funds for King’s endowment, and more.

“Hugh saw King as ‘a light on the hill’ and was a faithful representative of God’s tremendous generosity,” said W. Andrew Tooley, Ph.D., President of King. “In his work to further the Christ-centered focus of his family’s foundations, he played a pivotal role in preserving and shaping our Christian academic community. His legacy includes many thousands of lives uplifted through King, and we are deeply grateful for the many ways in which he blessed us with his wisdom, largesse, and advocacy.”