A Gift from the Heart

Elizabeth Maria Jacobi, Ph.D.

On occasion we receive notification of an estate that was not known to us. When that happens, there is usually a meaningful connection between the individual and Catholic University or our mission. We call these "gifts from the heart." Dr. Elizabeth M. Jacobi’s $350,000 unrestricted bequest was just that.

Since being notified of her gift, we have learned that Elizabeth was a devout Catholic with a passion for music, a dedication to healing, and an unbending commitment to wellness in humanity. Elizabeth combined her passion for music and deep caring for people by serving as the founder and director of the Music Medicine Institute (MMI) in Savannah, GA. Under her direction, the MMI forged an affiliation with St. Joseph’s Candler Hospital, offering inpatient and outpatient music therapy programs.

Dr. Jacobi’s clinical training in behavioral medicine was completed at Harvard Medical School. She earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the Union Institute in Cincinnati where her research in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis resulted in observations of significant changes in physical measures and the subjective experience of pain and psychological stress. By continuing to research music as therapy and forming coalitions with other health professionals, Elizabeth and her music therapy colleagues helped to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary medical approaches, which the MMI continues today.

We wish Elizabeth had shared her generous bequest intention with us so we could have stewarded her to share our deep gratitude. How wonderful it would have been to know her!

Please Do Not Let Your Heartfelt Intentions Be Unknown

If you intend or have already included Catholic University in your future plans but have not yet told us, please let us know so we can properly thank you. Contact Isabel de la Puente at delapuente@cua.edu or 202-319-6914.