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College Launches Regional Club in Washington, D.C.
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On June 19, Elmhurst College celebrated the launch of the Elmhurst College Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. Alumni representing the classes of 1951 through 2009 gathered at the Willard on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., to network, share stories of their Elmhurst experiences, and hear from President S. Alan Ray. Elmhurst Trustee Lamell McMorris generously hosted the June event. The group gathered again on September 19 at BuΩalo Billiards, in the DuPont Circle area of the District. Elmhurst regional clubs foster connections among alumni, students, parents and friends of the College. The College also hosts alumni clubs in St. Louis and Chicago.
College Ensembles Perform at Orchestra Hall
On April 17, the Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band performed on one of the world’s most acclaimed stages. Together with the Leyden High School Symphonic Band, Elmhurst’s ensembles performed for an audience of more than 1,300 at Symphony Center in downtown Chicago. Before the concert, more than 100 alumni and guests enjoyed a reception in Symphony Center’s ballroom. The concert featured the Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble, conducted by Judith E. Grimes; the Elmhurst College Symphonic Band,
conducted by Ross Kellan; and the Leyden High School Symphonic Band, conducted by Bryan Miller and Tara Cappelletti ’06. Guest conductors included Peter Gri≈n, chair of the Elmhurst College music department, and Eric Morong ’10. Elmhurst College band concerts regularly attract packed audiences to Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, and conductors Grimes and Kellan have led their ensembles to numerous awards and honors. The concert in Chicago’s venerable Orchestra Hall celebrated the work of the Elmhurst groups and musicians. “We appreciate the faculty and parental support that we always have in our home community, but performing in Orchestra Hall, where the world’s most outstanding musicians have performed, enhanced the professional and musical experience of not only the ensembles but also the individual students,” said Judith Grimes.
A Banner Year for FundRaising On June 30, Elmhurst College celebrated the close of another successful fund-raising year. With gifts received from 2,280 alumni, the College substantially surpassed its dollar goal for a grand total of more than $3.6 million—an increase of $1.4 million over last year’s total. “Elmhurst College alumni continue to invest generously in our mission,” said Joseph R. Emmick, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Thanks to our donors this past year, we have been able to support our students and our college in important ways.”
Gifts received during the 2012–2013 fiscal year helped the College provide additional scholarship funding for students, including a record $300,000 raised at the annual Evening for Scholarships. Alumni gifts also supported the College’s day-to-day operations, renovations to the Mill Theatre and Buik Recital Hall, and an endowed chair in the Department of History. “Endowed faculty chairs are one of the most valuable gifts donors can make to Elmhurst College,” said Emmick. “By providing support for a faculty member’s compensation and research, they enable the College to recruit talented new faculty and honor and retain current faculty members.” Also last year, alumni gave generously to the Barbara and Robert W. Swords Endowment Fund in tribute to legendary faculty members Robert and Barbara Swords. Thanks to leadership gifts from the Swords family, the College has raised nearly $200,000 for the fund, which supports students in the Honors Program and in the music and English departments. “Alumni continue to make larger gifts to their alma mater, and we deeply appreciate that growing support,” Emmick said. “But with an alumni giving rate at just under 10 percent, we face the ongoing challenge of increasing our donor base. A larger donor base not only provides more resources for our students, it also signals strong alumni engagement with the institution. “We hope our donors who made gifts last year will continue to support the College, and we hope those who were not able to give in the past will contribute in this new fiscal year.”
Setting New Records
From left: Alumni enjoy a recent Homecoming dinner; the Elmhurst College Club of Washington, D.C., brought together D.C. area alumni for its inaugural event.
By the time the last piece of pastry was eaten and the last strains of music had faded, Elmhurst College’s fourth annual Evening for Scholarships benefit had netted a record $300,000 to fund student scholarships, exceeding last year’s record by $60,000 and strengthening the College’s commitment to keeping an Elmhurst education within reach of all of its students. Ninety-five percent of the proceeds from the event, held on March 16 in the Frick Center, went directly to fund student scholarships.