Lawrence Today magazine, Fall 2009
2008-09 Report on Giving
A STRONG Foundation
Chad Lane is what you might call a big Lawrence fan. He recently completed a two-year appointment as the Mead Witter Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow of Geology,
and the experience left quite an impression: “I have never before had the opportunity to work with such a consistently dedicated, hardworking and intelligent group of students. My colleagues were equally impressive. I learned more about teaching, research, and the overall world of academia from Jeff (Clark), Marcia (Bjørnerud) and Andrew (Knudsen) in two years than I did from any of my graduate school advisors in six years.”
Lane added, “Of course, none of these wonderful experiences would have been possible without the support of the Mead Witter Foundation.” As it turns out, Lane has lots of company in his gratitude to the Mead Witter Foundation. The foundation has long been a premier supporter of higher education, but its recent philanthropy elevates the foundation’s relationship with Lawrence to a higher level of distinction.
For years, the Mead Witter Foundation made an annual grant to Lawrence to underwrite scholarships for high-achieving students from Wisconsin Rapids and northern Wisconsin. Last year, the foundation decided to make the investment permanent by establishing an endowed scholarship fund, ensuring that Mead Witter Foundation Endowed Scholarships can be awarded in perpetuity.
But the foundation didn’t stop there. Knowing that gifts for scholarships are one of the most valuable ways donors can help Lawrence during lean times, the Mead Witter Foundation responded. Lawrence was surprised and delighted to receive an additional gift from the foundation, designated to support Mead Witter Foundation Endowed Scholarships awarded in the 2009-10 academic year.
“My time at Lawrence was nothing short of spectacular. ”
— Chad Lane
Lawrence-Downer Legacy Circle
Message from the Lawrence-Downer Legacy Circle National Council Co-Chairs
As we navigated the uncertain economy together this past year, the Lawrence-Downer Legacy Circle became an even more popular way for alumni, parents and friends
to advance their support of the college. The beauty of planned gifts is that they can do a number of wonderful things for the donor and for Lawrence. The donor gets
the unparalleled satisfaction of knowing that no matter the size of their future donation, they have left a legacy while making no adjustments to their current cash flow. In some cases, donors actually came out ahead this year by establishing a charitable gift annuity or trust. When other investments were lagging, annuities continued offering appealing guaranteed lifetime income to donors. We were pleased to welcome 66 new members to the Legacy Circle this past year, bringing our total membership close to 780. Gifts received from trusts and estates in fiscal year 2008-09 totaled $4.9 million.
Members of the Legacy Circle National Council helped spread the word about the importance of making a long-term commitment at events held around the country announcing the More Light! campaign. One of the most stunning advancements in the campaign this past year was the inclusion of a $10 million future bequest, which can count toward the campaign’s totals because the donor shared this news with us now. As of June 30, 2009, more than $24 million in planned gifts have been counted in
More Light!
We extend our deepest thanks to members of the Legacy Circle for all you are doing tosecure a solid future for Lawrence University.008
A Game “Fore” Lawrence Athletics
The annual Viking Bench Golf Outing teed off this year at Royal St. Patrick’s Golf Links in Wrightstown, Wis. Former president Rik Warch served as honorary chairman of the event, which coincided with Reunion Weekend 2009. More than 90 participants, nearly all of them alumni, parents or current students, enjoyed a day out on the links reconnecting with each other and supporting a great cause. Thanks to the great work of the coaches and alumni volunteers on the planning committee, this year’s Viking Bench
Golf Outing raised more than $9,000 for the athletics department and its programs.
The committee included Joel Bogenschuetz ’98 (football, golf), Louis Clark IV ’98 (basketball, baseball) and Jamie Reeve III ’95 (football, golf). All three — who are also loyal donors to The Lawrence Fund and members of the Lawrence-Downer Legacy Circle — devoted countless hours to the planning and implementation of this successful event.
Alumni who may be interested in serving on the planning committee for the 2010 event are encouraged to contact Beth Giese in the Office of Development at
beth.a.giese@lawrence.edu or 920-832-7486
Our Legacy
Attending Lawrence University prepared Mitch Biba ’83 P’11 for a job that did not exist at the time of his graduation. Now a web designer, Mitch credits his
Lawrence education for teaching him how to adapt to new opportunities. While earning his bachelor of arts in music, Mitch was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, played intramural sports, performed with the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble and was a member of the wrestling team. After graduation, Mitch traveled internationally while playing his trumpet in a show band. Later, he earned his MBA at Marquette University. Mitch states, “Lawrence has had a profound impact on my life. I have fond memories, both academically and socially.”
Mitch and his wife Maribeth became members of the Lawrence-Downer Legacy Circle in June 2009. Including Lawrence in their wills was not something they had to think twice about. “My parents would not have been able to send me to Lawrence without the financial assistance the college provided,” Mitch remembers. “I want to be able to do the same thing for young adults who will come to Lawrence in the years ahead. Our legacy will allow future students to have the mind-opening opportunities I was given.”
What will your legacy be? Contact Lawrence at 920-832-6517 to design yours.
By any standard, John W. Mitchell’s bequest was an extraordinary gesture of love and respect. Mitchell himself had no direct connection to Lawrence. His first and last gift to the college, made through his estate, established the Chester James Hill, Jr. Memorial Fund in honor of his beloved wife’s first husband.
Mitchell’s wife Virginia was the widow of Lawrence psychology professor Chester James Hill. Devoted to Lawrence, Virginia worked for many years in the admissions office and completed her bachelor’s degree at Lawrence after Professor Hill’s death in 1969.
The Chester James Hill, Jr. Memorial Fund will provide funding to support Senior Experience projects, student-faculty collaborative research, and other opportunities to advance the aspirations of outstanding juniors and seniors.
My husband Dick (a University of Illinois alumnus) and I have enjoyed Björklunden Summer Seminars since the day of the original Boynton house and consider it a wonderful summer camp experience for adults. Dick feels like he’s a part of the Lawrence family and together we
have been privileged to support the new lodge and the recent addition, as well as being annual Boynton Society and Founders Club members. With the expansion, a Björklunden experience is now available to all Lawrence students — something unique and worthwhile. Such a special place deserves our support.
- Beverly Pearson Joutras ’49
We know what this kind of education can do for students — it changed our lives — and we are grateful for the chance to work with students at such an important point in their development. Contributing to The Lawrence Fund, which provides so many kinds of support for students, has been a great way of giving back and saying thanks.
— Gretchen Revie, reference librarian, and Tim Spurgin, associate professor of English and Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professor of English
I give to The Lawrence Fund because I know I have a direct impact on the education of current students and also because I benefited from the support of others when I was a student. I am excited to have the opportunity to do my part and enhance the Lawrence experience. My investment in Lawrence is an investment in people and this is one that will always pay dividends. Lawrence provided me with life-changing experiences, and I know my support will enhance the opportunities and experiences of future Lawrentians.
- Stephen Rodriguez ’02
SCHUH Scholars
According to Dale Schuh ’70, “It is important to provide access to higher education, particularly to families of prospective students who feel they can neither afford nor require the type of experience Lawrence can provide. It is also important that graduating students not be burdened by excessive debts.” As a result, the Dale and Annette Schuh Scholarship was established in 2009 through a generous gift from the couple and Sentry Insurance Foundation. Dale and his wife Annette were the first individuals in their families to graduate from college. Accordingly, preference for selection of Schuh Scholars is given to students who are first-generation college students, particularly those who come from rural areas or small towns.
More than 90 percent of all Lawrence students receive some form of financial assistance, a sizable portion of which comes from named scholarships. Generous gifts to establish named scholarships are not only an investment in the college and the students who study here today; they are also an investment in the future. The Schuhs have provided service and support for Lawrence for many years. In 1992 he played an integral role in the establishment of the Sentry Insurance Student Leadership Scholarship. In 2008 Dale became a member of the Lawrence University Board of Trustees. He recently took on a leadership role and will serve as Founders Club president through 2012.
Dale is the chairman and chief executive officer of Sentry® Insurance and Annette is an artist who has exhibited her watercolors nationally. Dale joined Sentry as an actuarial intern in 1969, between his junior and senior years at Lawrence. He was promoted over the years to chief operating officer in 1995 and CEO in 1998. In reflecting on how his Lawrence education prepared him for his career, Dale stated, “Lawrence provides so much interdisciplinary exposure; you can’t help but broaden your perspective in ways that help you learn how to put ideas together. Given this educational opportunity, an individual is much more able to transition to a leadership position regardless of the endeavor.”
Experience for A LIFETIME
Call it a bookend to Freshman Studies. Beginning with the Class of 2012, every graduating senior will demonstrate the outcomes of their Lawrence education through a Senior Experience project.
Supported by a three-year $350,000 seed grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Senior Experience program will engage students in a significant project demonstrating proficiency in their major field of study, the integration of knowledge and skills gained during their years at Lawrence, and the development of scholarly or artistic independence.
In keeping with Lawrence’s emphasis on individualized learning, Senior Experience has a decidedly one-size-does-not- fit-all approach. Tom Ryckman, Senior Experience program director and professor of philosophy, describes the program as “departmentally-centered in the sense that each department determines what type of Senior Experience is appropriate for its particular major.”
Using project mini-grants from Mellon funds, early adopters are already exploring the breadth and variety of Senior Experiences possible within the program. Harjinder Bedi ’09, an anthropology and music education double-degree student, has combined his two courses of study in a single culminating project. He spent the summer in Ghana, West Africa studying Adzogbo, a war dance of the Ewe people, through drumming, dance, interviews and video-documented performances. Back on campus this fall, he is writing an ethnography and plans to give a performance lecture.
Physics major Mackenzie Van Camp ’09 literally built a Senior Experience with funds from a Mellon mini-grant and a competitive Henry Merritt Wriston Scholarship. Following a summer at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics studying electromagnetically induced transparency — which occurs when two laser beams with frequencies (colors) that should be absorbed by an atomic vapor cause a type of quantum interference that prevents either of them from being absorbed — Van Camp wanted to explore the topic further. Under the guidance of Lawrence Fellow Shannon O’Leary, she created a new version of the experimental setup in a Lawrence physics laboratory, allowing them to observe the effect and study it using a laser noise technique. The experimental and theoretical skills Van Camp demonstrated in her Senior Experience were impressive, earning her an opportunity to continue learning experimental atomic physics in the graduate program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Students are very excited about this opportunity. The job of director, I think, will be one of trying to oversee what is certain to become an academic and arts explosion.”
- Tom Ryckman, Senior Experience program director
A Growing Legacy
Like the roots of a strong tree, the Buchanan family’s service to Lawrence runs long and deep. A second-generation Lawrence University trustee, Bob joined the Lawrence community early in life, having been born in a home wherethe Wriston Art Center now stands. As longtime leaders and generous contributors to the college, Bob ’62 and Bonnie Glidden Buchanan ’62 are ensuring that this family tradition continues to impact the college’s future. The Buchanans supported Lawrence this year with two major gifts, one of which established four new endowed scholarships to support English and economics students. These scholarships will be awarded for the first time next year and will provide future generations of Lawrentians with important financial support.
The second gift is directed to the campus itself. Here’s a question for the botany students: where could one locate a Princeton Century Ginko or European Larch? The answer is to check on Lawrence’s Main Hall Green. Bonnie has underwritten planting of 110 new trees from Trever
Hall to Colman Hall (with the exception of the trees along Boldt Way). These trees replace those that have recently been removed as well as those that were not replaced in the last 10 years. These tree species were chosen and placed on campus thanks to the collaboration of Bonnie, a local arborist from Jack’s Lawn and Landscape, Lawrence’s Facility Services and the students who watered them all summer. After many meetings spent trekking back and forth across campus, rain or shine, the group came to some conclusions about which treesneeded to be removed due to disease and where new trees would be planted.
Much like a class at Lawrence, the group came together to ensure the right trees were chosen that were not only “handsome, but also compatible with the paths, people and campus ecosystem,” said Bonnie. “Work with this team was not only a pleasure, but also informative.
We care deeply about Lawrence and love to see those bare places planted with trees for future generations — trees that have been chosen to be here for a long time.”
Lawrence’s beautiful green campus has long been a signature of the college that is cherished by our students, remembered fondly by alumni and admired by the community. The roots of these young trees will grow strong like the legacy of the Buchanan family at Lawrence.
