WHAT’S IN A NAME? The chairman of Williston’s Board of Trustees since 2016, John Hazen White Jr. ’76 is “a tireless cheerleader for Williston,” notes Head of School Robert W. Hill III. In his professional life, White is the third-generation owner and CEO of Rhode Island-based Taco Comfort Solutions, a global manufacturer of heating and cooling equipment, which donated many of the mechanical elements used in the new dorm, as well as equipment and supplies for other campus projects. A noted philanthropist in his home state, he is also a trustee of the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution, where he recently established
the John Hazen White Global Manufacturing Initiative to support manufacturing advances around the world. Hill noted that Williston’s board voted to name the new dorm after White “for his generosity to Williston, both explicitly for this project but also for his lifetime of financial support.” White, who as a young man famously talked his way into Williston with the promise to give back to the school for the rest of his life, noted at the dedication ceremony that giving back is not just about money. “It’s about time. It’s about energy,” he said. “But most of all, it’s about love.”
Gifts that
build
We are grateful to the Williston alumni whose businesses provided important supplies, ranging from windows to water heaters. A.W. Hastings (Stephen Hoyt ’95 and Miana Hoyt Dawson ’98, P’22) Dresser-Hull Lumber & Building Supply (Dick Shields ’61, P’90, ’94, GP’20, ’21, ’21) Mestek (Trustee Stewart Reed ’66)
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHATTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND MATTHEW CAVANAUGH
Omegaflex (Board Vice Chair Kevin Hoben ’65) Premier Supply Group/Northampton Plumbing Supply (David Teece ’72, P’01, ’04, ‘07) Taco Comfort (Board Chair John Hazen White Jr. ’76) Longtime friends and trustees (from left) Stewart Reed ’66, John Hazen White Jr. ’76, and Kevin Hoben ’65 helped bring this project to life.
FALL 2018 BULLETIN 23