Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Dear Friends,

Admist the challenges facing the higher education sector nationally, Hobart and William Smith has made far-reaching advances in every area, continuing to deliver on our promise to students that they will receive an excellent education preparing them to lead a life of consequence. This issue of The Pulteney Street Survey details some of the work underway to make certain that we will do so for our third century.

In an act of unprecedented generosity, Tom and Judy Melly have made a $70 million gift to Hobart and William Smith, the largest in our history. This philanthropy is the culmination of a lifetime of support to Tom’s alma mater, one marked by Tom’s steadfast service on the Board of Trustees, including ten years as chair. Tom and Judy informed us of the gift in the fall, and we worked together to determine how it will support our strategic priorities (p.16). After Tom’s death, the Board of Trustees relocated its winter meeting to attend the memorial service in Florida, a fitting acknowledgement of Tom’s impact. He was a generous person, both in his philanthropy and in his wise counsel, and I know that everyone in our community shares my deep respect and gratitude. The Mellys’ philanthropic spirit will reverberate for generations.

This issue of the magazine also reveals for the first time renderings for the Fish Center for the Sciences (p.24), the magnificent new building made possible by the generosity of Cyndy Gelsthorpe Fish and John Fish. This 40,000 square foot building will anchor the south side of the Quad, giving our students the stateof-the-art space they need to prepare for a future that requires quantitative and scientific literacy. The Fishs’ gift, along with significant donations from many others including Allison Morrow (p.32), Tom and Barbara Bozzuto (p.34), and Rob and Ann Karofsky (p.35), will allow HWS faculty to advance their research – all done with the assistance of our students in everything from cancer and climate change to the brain and Keplar data.

With the support of many others like Stephen Wong (p. 46) and Chris Desino and Rob Desino (p.13), our progress toward the $400 million goal of “Further Together: the Campaign for Our Third Century” now stands at $315 million. This wonderful momentum is accompanied by positive news in admissions. Applications to HWS continue to grow as the academic qualifications of applicants also increases. Thanks to our strong faculty and curriculum as well as outstanding co-curricular programs, HWS is an increasingly sought after institution. I look forward to reporting to you later in the year on the Class of 2029.

This issue also marks the announcement of the retirement of Aliceann Wilber, the only coach the William Smith soccer team has ever known. It’s a bittersweet moment. My only consolation is that she will now be able to join us in the bleachers as we cheer on the next era of Herons soccer.

Sincerely,

MARK D. GEARAN
President