Tradition & Transformation

The End Is in Sight, But Much Remains to Be Done

by Tom St. Clair '57

As co-chair of Allegheny's Tradition & Transformation campaign, I've had the privilege of writing thank you notes to an impressive cadre of exceedingly generous supporters of the College. It's not a mundane task, as I'm truly amazed by the love and respect for Allegheny that these alumni, parents, and friends have expressed by their words and actions.

Three years ago the Board of Trustees launched the public phase of this campaign, and as many of you know, this followed three intensive years of a not-so-quiet phase ensuring trustee commitments and other major cultivation efforts. This is the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in Allegheny's history, and we have now surpassed $102 million in gifts and pledges. Yes, this is truly amazing.

These results are producing amazing changes on campus, too. The totally renovated Campus Center is now truly a "campus center," the Tippie Alumni Center is the focal point of a dramatically restored Cochran Hall, and funding is proceeding for the new Vukovich Theater & Communications Arts Center. The level of enthusiasm about the College's future is without precedent, and without a doubt, Allegheny is on a roll!

Tradition & Transformation ends in June 2006. Although much remains to be done to secure our place among the nation's top undergraduate colleges, we have much to celebrate. The recently completed $1 million Skattum Challenge, offered by Trustee Dag Skattum '84 and his wife, Julie Grosjean Skattum '85, helped vault the College's Annual Fund to record levels. More Alleghenians than ever before are giving to the Annual Fund because of the Skattum Challenge, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to Dag and Julie for their marvelous support and service to the College.

My dear friend and campaign co-chair Dave Hoag '60, who passed away in August 2004, often said that alumni are the true shareholders of Allegheny, with a responsibility to invest their time and resources in the College. It's an investment that pays great dividends: graduates equipped to think critically and creatively, write clearly, speak persuasively, and truly make a difference in a diverse world—and, from a personal perspective, to enhance the prestige of our alma mater.

If you've already made an investment in this campaign, I thank you. And I invite all of you to make new or continuing investments in Allegheny's bright future as we bring the Tradition & Transformation campaign to a very successful conclusion.

Why We Give

At Reunion 2005, we asked a number of people about why they choose to give to Allegheny. Below are a few of their responses.

Ric Rivette '74 & Judith Rivette

Ric: We support Allegheny financially because I realize that I would not have been able to attend the College without the support of those who came before. And generally I think people should be willing to give more.

Judith: All of Ric's friends have embraced me as one of their friends, and I'm always impressed with the fact that these are not just considerate people, but they're thoughtful and intellectual at the same time. We are very glad to support Allegheny.

Michelle Shiffer Payne '96 and Warren Payne '95

Warren: Why do we give to Allegheny? It's actually fairly straightforward. I think we both took quite a bit away from Allegheny. We recognized what we wanted to do with our lives, and Allegheny led us in that direction successfully.

Michelle: I've always told people that we had what I call the classic Allegheny experience when we were here. Part of why I came to Allegheny—why I love it so much—is that the people here are so friendly. It's like a family. We do everything we can to make sure that the students who are here now are able to get the most out of their experiences and are also able to connect with the alumni network. Our giving to Allegheny is about more than just money—it's about being connected to students who are here now and being connected with high school students who want to come to Allegheny, to talk with them about what it was like and how to pick a good school.

Thomas Gladden '54, P'86 & Rachel Gladden P'86

Tom: I like the product that Allegheny puts out. When our son decided he wanted to go to college, I thought, "I'm not going to pressure him to go to Allegheny," but that's where I wanted him to go. He was interviewed and offered a scholarship at other colleges. He said that he talked to kids who had gone to these other colleges, but none of them was as enthusiastic as the ones who attended Allegheny. Herb Ransford '38 once mentioned to me that if you are in a conversation with a group of people, they'll know within ten minutes that you went to Allegheny. You'll tell them because you're proud of it. And I've noticed that people are proud of the quality. The only criticism that I've heard about Allegheny College is that it's too academically intensive. I think that's wonderful. It's just great.

Rachel: We have six grandchildren, and we just bought each of the six an Allegheny sweatshirt. We're already indoctrinating them.

Robert Moyers '55, P'87 & Barbara (Ford) Moyers '57, P'87

Barbara: We realize that we have to turn around and show our appreciation for the opportunities that we've had because of Allegheny. We also have, I think, an obligation. When you think about your grandchildren and you think about the future, you feel as though you should support the things that you hope will be a part of their lives or will make a difference.

Robert: I give Allegheny credit for expanding my horizons when I was a teen and giving me the opportunity to pursue what later became an important factor in my life: the study of medicine and going to medical school. When I first came to Allegheny, I hadn't even considered becoming a doctor.

Sue Idleman '55

It is difficult for me to be realistic about my years at Allegheny because I seem to remember only the good things—the lovely, green campus, dear friends that I still cherish, and a hundred small moments that remain with me. But Allegheny did much more than supply me with happy memories. Allegheny changed my life. It introduced me to classes filled with new ideas, books that sometimes confused me and sometimes thrilled me, and professors who gently guided us all through our learning adventures. For better or for worse, Allegheny made me a perennial student who still wants to know everything. I would hope that many more generations of students will be able to experience the years of joy that an Allegheny education can give.

Reunion Fund-raising Sets Record

The classes of 1995, 1980, 1965, and 1955 conducted comprehensive fundraising efforts in honor of their Reunions in June. Collectively, these Alleghenians raised a Reunion-record $8,348,275 in cash and deferred gifts. The 10th and 25th class gift totals are composed entirely of cash gifts; the 40th and 50th Reunion gift totals also include deferred gifts, which are available to the College at a later date. Allegheny is grateful for the generosity of these classes and for the dedication of their Reunion gift committees.

	Gift Amount	Class Participation Rate
Class of 1995 (10th Reunion)	$44,393	24 percent
Class of 1980 (25th Reunion)	$400,000*	45 percent
Class of 1965 (40th Reunion)	$5,392,489**	51 percent
Class of 1955 (50th Reunion)	$2,511,393	58 percent

*25th Reunion fundraising record
**40th Reunion fundraising record

Skattum Challenge Raises Nearly $3 Million for Annual Fund—Thanks to You!

Thanks to generous gifts from more than ten thousand alumni, parents, and friends of Allegheny, the Skattum Challenge has raised nearly $3 million for the Annual Fund during the last three years.

Dag '84 and Julie Grosjean Skattum '85 are very appreciative of your support of Allegheny through the challenge. "We are grateful this was so successful," they say. "We see ourselves only as the facilitators of the challenge. The generosity of the parents, friends, and alumni who provided the gifts and pledges made it a success."

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the Skattum Challenge and made Allegheny's Annual Fund a big success in 2004-2005. Thanks to you, Allegheny's Annual Fund set a new record for the ninth straight year! We hope you will help us make it a full decade of growth in 2005-2006.

Money Raised Through the Skattum Challenge

	Dollar Totals	Number of Gifts
Year One	$786,174	2309
Year Two	$1,234,270	5463
Year Three	$883,700	2269
Total	$2,904,144	10,041

 

Students Honored for Commitment to Community: Internship Established Through Gift to Tradition & Transformation

Erica Czop '05 received the first annual Lew Davies Award for Outstanding Community Service at the Meadville Area Chamber of Commerce banquet in April.

A managerial economics major, Czop worked at Conneaut Lake Park researching similar amusement parks, analyzing their business strategies, and helping to develop the park's 2005 business plan.

The Lew Davies Award honors an Allegheny College student making significant contributions to both the Meadville community and the college campus, while going above and beyond the requirements of the volunteer or internship commitment.

The award is named in memory of College trustee J. Llewellyn "Lew" Davies '40, who was actively involved in the Meadville community. His leadership on the governing board of Meadville's Active Aging led to the opening of the Lew Davies Community Building in downtown Meadville.

Davies received the Governor Raymond P. Shafer Award for Distinguished Community Service in 1996, an award co-sponsored by the Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce and Allegheny College. He served on Alumni Council and as a reunion class leader and also assisted with fundraising campaigns. As a trustee, he initiated the Community Advisory Board to strengthen the relationship between town and gown.

Czop's internship was funded through the Davies Community Service Leader Program, which provides opportunities for Allegheny students to work with Meadville area organizations. The Davies family established the program with a gift to the Tradition & Transformation campaign. The program also supported internships at the Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce, the Meadville Area Industrial Complex, and Active Aging.