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The Best of Reunion Giving 2006
Class of 1956 Smashes 50th Reunion Giving Record
The Class of 1956 set lofty goals for itself and exceeded them, setting a new standard for 50th Reunion giving. Through their generosity, the Class of 1956 created and named an endowed faculty position at the College in New Testament studies and contributed over $500,000 to the Fund. At their Class dinner, an impressive gift of $2.8 million was announced, before Neil B. Prior Jr. committed an additional $5 million to the campaign and the class gift. Prior’s gift and a bequest realization from John J. Maher of $360,000, brought the Class of 1956 Reunion giving total to $8.2 million.
It wasn’t luck. It didn’t just happen. The class leadership started early, setting aggressive goals, planning events and increasing class mailings over the three years preceding the reunion. The results of their hard work and dedication are apparent.
Gift Chair: John A. Lawler
Class Chair: Daniel M. Dunn
Core Committee: Richard E. Dooley, Hugh J. Kelly Jr., William O. Murphy.
(Pictured above left to right: Daniel M. Dunn, Hugh J. Kelly Jr., Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., William O. Murphy, and Richard E. Dooley.)
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Challenge Drives a Strong Finish for the Class of 1961
With most of May and all of June left in the Fund year, Dick Connolly issued a challenge to his classmates. He wrote each of them a letter detailing his plan to match their contributions dollar for dollar up to a total of $100,000. The Class responded and had its highest rate of participation in 30 years at 65 percent.
The Class, led by Class Chair Clark Hodgson, made a gift to the Holy Cross Fund of $311,947. More than 25 donors made additional gifts after the challenge was issued and 46 donors made gifts in 2006 who had not given in 2005.
Class Chair: C. Clark Hodgson Jr.
(Pictured above left to right: Clark Hodgson and Fr. McFarland)
Class of 1981 Participates at Unprecedented Levels
The Class of 1981, celebrating its 25th reunion year, participated in this year’s Holy Cross Fund at a rate of 71 percent. This is the highest rate of participation from any class out 50 years or less. This success is due in large part to the efforts of Supple and Healy, who met nightly to call their classmates. Their unique competitive spirit produced amazing results. Between June 15 and the close of the Fund alone, the committee received 182 new gifts. In all, 391 classmates gave to the College in honor of the 25th reunion, a new donor record from any class at any time.
The 25th reunion class also made a poignant gesture in memory of all nine of their deceased classmates by establishing individual Holy Cross Fund Scholarships in their names.
Gift Chairs: Nancy Maddi Taylor and James M. Roach
Class Chairs: James G. Healy, Katharine Buckley McNamara, Elizabeth Stevens Murdy, William J. Supple
(Pictured above left to right: William J. Supple, Constance A. Eagan, James G. Healy, Katharine Buckley McNamara, Fr. McFarland, Nancy Maddi Taylor, Elizabeth Stephens Murdy, and James M. Roach)