Friends Seminary receives the largest bequest in its 230-year history
Wendy Weil ’57
In 2012, loyal alumna Wendy Weil ’57 passed away. Wendy had remained connected to Friends throughout her life, serving as Clerk of the Alumni Council between 2001 and 2007, as a Class Secretary and
as a Reunion Chair. She hosted numerous student interns from Friends in her literary agency and strongly believed that alumni should be the “custodians” of the education had they received so others could enjoy it as well. After graduating from Friends, Wendy attended Wellesley College. She worked in publishing for 50 years, starting in the training program at Doubleday, then becoming a literary agent and eventually founding The Wendy Weil Agency in 1986. Among her books were Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale and Andrea Barrett’s Ship-Fever, a 1996 story collection that was dedicated to Wendy and won the National Book Award. Among her authors were Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, New York
Times bestsellers, authors of literary and commercial fiction, memoirists, journalists, health care experts and groundbreaking social activists. In Wendy’s Will, she directed that the residual of her estate be given to Friends Seminary’s unrestricted endowment after her husband’s death. The School was honored to receive more than $600,000. In perpetuity, Friends Seminary students and faculty will benefit from her legacy which will support the mission of the School. Wendy was a loyal donor to Friends whose contributions began with small gifts to the Annual Fund. Her bequest is a meaningful legacy and honors the education she received at Friends.
To learn how you can help support Friends, contact: Rebecca Holmes, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Gifts rholmes@friendsseminary.org or 212.979.5058 sp r in g 2 0 1 6 | 2 2