Advancement
Rochester Launches George Eastman Circle
New Annual Fund leadership society honors tradition of building support throughout the University community.
By Kathleen McGarvey
When the University revealed plans in the 1920s to move from the campus it had outgrown on Prince Street to the more extensive land of what was then the Oak Hill Country Club and is now the River Campus, alumni and community members played a decisive role in making the move possible.
CHARTING A COURSE: Celebrating the founding of the George Eastman Circle are trustees Janice Willett ’78S (MBA), Edmund Hajim ’58, Nathaniel Wisch ’55, Thomas Sloan ’65, ’67 (Mas), Gwen Greene ’65, Peter Standish ’64, President Joel Seligman, Nathan Moser ’75, Laurence Bloch ’75, Robert Goergen ’60, and G. Robert Witmer Jr. ’59.
The Greater University Campaign, launched in 1924, drew the entire University community together in a united effort to provide for the future. Contributors to the $10 million campaign included more than 70 percent of living alumni, 10,000 local subscribers, almost all undergraduates, and friends of the University, such as George Eastman, whose leadership in that campaign inspired the community.
“It is doubtful,” University historian Arthur May later wrote, “whether any community in the United States had ever equaled the 1924 Rochester fund-raising drive for the advancement of higher education.”
University Advancement hopes to bring the spirit of that commitment into the 21st century with the launch of a new donor recognition society, named the George Eastman Circle in honor of the University’s greatest benefactor. The society is designed to honor people who provide leadership Annual Fund support to any of the University’s schools or units. Charter membership is open to donors who make five-year annual commitments of $1,500 to $50,000 or more.
During an April gala in New York City that featured historian Doris Kearns Goodwin as a keynote speaker, volunteer leaders of the society and attendees formally inaugurated the society by conducting a ceremonial signing of a new charter statement. Also on display was the Greater University Fund Donor Book, brought to the event from the archives of Rush Rhees Library.
“George Eastman inspired his generation and helped to transform the University of Rochester from a regional liberal arts college into an internationally recognized research university,” says trustee Larry Bloch ’75, George Eastman Circle national co-chair. “It is our hope and expectation that Eastman’s example will continue to inspire many more generations of supporters.”
At the same time, the group also aims to reach beyond recognition, creating a shared vision for the University’s future and making a commitment to help accelerate its progress.
“As charter members, we now have an important responsibility to inspire others to join us in this noble effort to expand the University’s service to the world,” says trustee Tom Sloan ’65, ’67 (Mas), George Eastman Circle national co-chair. “It is our shared belief that a stronger University will lead to new research discoveries, new heights of creative expression, and the education of new generations who will go forth and make a difference in the world,” he says.
Charter member status remains open until June 30. For more information, contact the University Annual Giving Programs office at (585) 276-3057 or (800) 598-1330.
