83rd Annual Fund Chairman Frank L. Messa '73 and his wife, Colleen
September 1995
Dear Alumni and Friends of Union College:
The outpouring of financial support for Union College during this past Bicentennial year was nothing short of astounding! The Annual Fund crossing the $4 million dollar mark and the 3 point increase to 52.3% in participation are but two milestones in what can only be described as a banner year for the Annual Fund.
To state the obvious, none of the above could have been achieved without a passionate, motivated, diligent army of volunteers and contributors. To those of you who made it happen, you have my admiration and gratitude. Your efforts and financial support not only benefit the Union College family, but ultimately all of the citizens of the world.
Sincerely,
Frank L. Messa '73 Chairman
The 83rd Annual Fund
R. Gordon Gould '41 (right) with Prof. Jay Newman, the first Gould Professor
R. Gordon Gould '41 gave Union nearly $1.5 million to endow a faculty chair in physics during 1994-95. Gould's gift honors his mentor, Prof. Frank Studer. Gould credits Prof. Studer for sparking the interest in the properties of light and a love of optics that led to Gould's invention of the laser. Gould also received the Eliphalet Nott Medal, recognizing the perseverance of alumni who have achieved great distinction in their fields, at Commencement.
As Gould's relationship with Prof. Studer so vividly illustrates, the foundation of Union's excellence has always been a faculty that combines a lively interest in scholarship with a dedication to teaching. The principal measure of how well Union succeeds in its educational mission is the commitment and accessibility of the faculty to the students. Today, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools reports that, “the Union faculty is an exceptional collection of teachers/scholars.”
Endowed, named professorships are vital to the College's ability to attract, nurture, reward and retain teacher-scholars in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The Gould Chair is the sixth endowed chair established through the Bicentennial Campaign. The other five are:
the John and Jane Wold chair in geology,
the Thomas J. Watson, Sr. and Emma Watson Day chair in mechanical engineering,
Shelly and Lew Insler '76. Lew has served as the Chair of the Anuual Fund Executive Committee
Union College has a proud, 83-year tradition of Annual Fund support. This year was no exception, with gifts setting a new record of just over $4 million. Annual Fund gifts, generally made with cash or appreciated securities, vary greatly in size. Annual Fund gifts are used to purchase books and laboratory equipment, to support student activities and services, and to add to the quality of academic programs across campus. In short, Annual Fund gifts are an important component of the College's yearly operating budget.
Union also has a proud tradition of capital gift support funding construction projects and providing for endowment growth. Capital gifts, which may also be outright gifts of cash, appreciated securities or real property, frequently take the form of life-income agreements and gifts through bequests. Capital gifts add value to Union's endowment, giving the College not just more current spending power, but also greater future financial security. Capital gifts allow Union to attract and retain high caliber students through increased scholarship funds and academic program support. Capital gifts finance construction projects such as the Nott Memorial, Yulman Theater and the forthcoming renovation of Schaffer Library. Capital gifts continue building the prestige of Union's faculty through endowed professorships and faculty fellowships.
Your gifts-annual or capital, outright or planned-make Union a better place in myriad ways. Thank you!
Your generous support of Union has added extra luster to a year that can only be described in superlatives.
We have celebrated our College during the opening convocation last September, the rededication of the Nott Memorial and the
nationally broadcast Founder's Day celebration in February, and the best-attended Reunion Weekend ever this past June.
And we have also invested in our College
Together, we gave more than $15 million to Union during 1994-95, surpassing the existing record by more than $2 million. Of that total, we gave just over $4 million (another record) to the Annual Fund. And included in that total is nearly $2.7 million in unrestricted funds.
Our Annual Fund support has, once again, allowed Union to close the books with the budget, in balance. Our support of the endowment has augmented and created new scholarships, prizes; lectureships and professorships. And our support of capital projects has enabled Union to reopen the Nott Memorial, dedicate the Yulman Theater and the Reamer Campus Center, and begin the $17 million campaign to renovate and expand Schaffer Library, the next major building project in the Bicentennial Campaign.
During the campaign, we have contributed more than $96 million in capital and annual fund gifts, eclipsing totals raised in any comparable timeframe in our College's history.
And these investments are worth celebrating. On behalf of the entire College community, I thank you for your support during 1994-95, a year in which we have reflected upon Union's proud history.
This year, we launch Union's third century. I hope you will join me in renewing your support during 1995-96, when our gifts take on new significance as investments in Unions' bright future.
Sincerely,
Norton H. Reamer 58 Chairman
The Bicentennial Campaign
Sports reporters had a new league to follow this year, and Union's name was mentioned prominently in their reports.
The league is the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA), a group of eight independent colleges in New York State. The members, all of whom share a similar athletic philosophy, are Clarkson, Hamilton, Hobart and William Smith, Rensselaer, the University of Rochester, St. Lawrence, Skidmore, and Union.
(Not all of the colleges take part in all sports, and the league doesn't affect the Division I hockey programs at Union, Clarkson, St. Lawrence, and Rensselaer, which compete as members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference.)
As of mid-October, here's a rundown on the new league:
Union's volleyball team placed second in the UCAA Tournament with its 4-1 record. The Dutchwomen swept Clarkson, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, and Skidmore, losing only to undefeated champion Rochester. Junior Gretchen Voegler and senior Chris Taraborelli were elected to the
All-Tournament team.
Voegler and sophomore Jinsy Andrews were the league's top two shot blockers with 3.02 and 2.04 blocks per game,
respectively. Voegler was fifth in hitting percentage and sixth in kills while freshman Erika Friedrich was sixth in assists and third in service aces.
The men's soccer team went into the last weekend of the UCAA season contending for league championship honors. But back-to-back shutouts at the hands of Clarkson and
St. Lawrence (the league champion) left the Dutchmen with a 2-4 league record.
Junior midfielder Ted Doran was tied for fourth place in the league scoring race and sophomore goalie Joe Caruso was the league's third-best netminder
The women's tennis team finished sixth out of eight in the first UCAA Tournament and completed the regular season with a record of 5-5 despite losing the top three singles players from last year. Senior Amy Kessinger, junior Joanna Freedman, and sophomore Courtney Rogers each won two matches during the UCAA event.
Kessinger, New York State's defending No. 4 singles champion, won six matches this season while playing in either the first or second position. The doubles team of sophomore Jessica Hallenbeck and Freedman posted a 7-4 record while Kessinger and Rogers were 5-2. The Dutchwomen were invited to the New York State Tournament for the third consecutive season.
Despite an opening game loss to St. Lawrence, the football team reached mid-October with a chance at the UCAA title, with a final game against Rochester. The Dutchmen were 2-1 in the league and had the best defense (and one of the best defenses in the nation).
Senior strong safety Kevin Pessolano twice was named upstate New York's “Defensive Player of the Week” (following his efforts in the WPI and Dickinson games) and sophomore cornerback Len Mortimore picked up the honor after intercepting three passes –
one for an 82-yard touchdown against Albany. Freshman Justin Campbell was the league's “Rookie of the Week” following his performance against WPI and junior Bobby Champlin was the “Defensive Player of the Week” following a 15-tackle, two-interception performance against Rensselaer.
The Dutchmen led the league in rushing defense (79.0 yards per game), pass defense (101.8), total defense (180.8), and points allowed (8.3). Mortimore was tied for the league lead in interceptions with five, and junior placekicker Roger Egbert was second in scoring with his 6.3 average.
The women's soccer team finished third in the league behind national power William
Smith and Skidmore, with a league record of 3-2-1. Senior forward Kim Fanning was sixth in the overall scoring race with 18 points and senior forward Nicole Solomos had 15 points. Sophomore goalie Sarah Retersdorf was fifth in the league. Fanning and senior defender Danielle Shelov were named to the weekly honor roll.
No team received more individual honors than the field hockey team, however. Although the Dutchwomen finished fifth of seven with their 2-4 league mark, all but one of their games were tightly-contested. Junior forward Tonya Capparello finished second in the scoring race with nine goals and 24 points, and senior goalie Elana Goldberg finished fourth with her 1.56 goals against average.
Freshman Carrie Heroth captured a “Rookie of the Week” award and honor roll selections went to Capparello (twice), senior forward Michelle McCarte, freshman Bianca Prumo, and freshman midfielder Shoko Okado.
The men's cross country team was third of five in the initial UCAA meet with 103 points while the women placed third of four with 75 points. Sophomore Jay Goldberg (18th out of 59) and junior Nick Conway (24th) led Union's men, and sophomore Kelly Jamieson (10th), freshman Katie MacDowell (14th), and senior Linda Seymour (15th) led the women.
