The Grace of Gifts Shared: Connections
Legends Society Inducts Three Members by Jillienne Marinelli ’14
On Oct. 17 three members were inducted into the Legends Society: Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56 and her husband, William H. “Bill” Davidow; Alexander “Alex” Wenner, and The Beulah Kahler College Trust. The inductees were introduced in the company of Legends Sheridan S. Danforth, Sally Shaw Veitch ’66, Richard N. Thielen and Patricia A. Thornton ’56. Former trustee Sonja Davidow ’56 and husband Bill, a Dartmouth College alumnus, were inducted into the Society by President Thomas C.
Galligan Jr. “Bill has joined Sonja in supporting her college, and together they have consistently made Colby-Sawyer a philanthropic priority,” said President Galligan. The Davidows have directed their gift toward Colby-Sawyer’s highest academic priority: a new fine and performing arts center. Additionally, the couple has proposed funding to establish teaching chairs. “In making this gift you have provided for both the physical home for the art department and for the people who will inspire students in that building for generations to come,” said President Galligan. Board of Trustees Chair Tom Csatari welcomed Alex Wenner to the society. Wenner’s father, a scientist, used to visit New London every summer to participate in the Gordon Research Conference. Wenner accompanied his father and found a sense of home in New London. “Alex has chosen to generously support the college knowing that each gift has lasting impact,” said Chair Csatari. In addition to supporting
two endowed scholarship funds, Wenner has named the college as the beneficiary of 50 percent of his estate, making Wenner not only a loyal friend of Colby-Sawyer but also a valued partner in the college’s improvements to academics and facilities. The Beulah Kahler College Trust, established to support private liberal arts colleges, began its relationship with Colby-Sawyer College in 1999. Vice President for Advancement Elizabeth Cahill, who inducted the foundation into the Legends Society, credited it with funding faculty salaries, construction projects and student scholarships. “The college is grateful for the trust’s
confidence and investment,” said Vice President Cahill. “Even as trustees have changed and as trust management has moved between financial institutions, the college has been a regular beneficiary of grants from the fund. And now, with regular annual grants, giving from the trust has exceeded one million dollars.” These inductees have become a significant part of Colby-Sawyer’s history, and their gifts will carry the college into the future. As a permanent acknowledgment of their generosity, three new plaques hang on the Legends Wall in Colgate Hall, bringing the Legends Society to 50 members.
Photo: Greg Danilowski
Each year the Colby-Sawyer community gathers to celebrate its Legends. Legends Society members help the college realize new levels of excellence through extraordinary philanthropic gifts of $1 million or more. Legends provide funding for transformative campus improvements that benefit students, faculty, staff, alumni and the local community through academic development, scholarships, grants, renovation and expansion. Their generous support allows Colby-Sawyer to turn dreams into reality.
L–R: Major Gifts Officer Allison Faccone, Bill Davidow, Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56 and President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. Spring 2014
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