"I hope you find some passion and have the opportunity to pursue it, whether it's business, the law, poetry, dance or music," says David Henle '75. "That's what makes life fun and interesting."
Henle is seated in Grant Hall during Homecoming Weekend, surrounded by the four students who are the recipients of his new eponymous scholarship awards. But the David L. Henle Merit Scholars – Class of 2009 members Regina Chiuminatto, Alexandra Dubodel, Kara McCabe and Ariel Weiner – already know a thing or two about passion.
Each brings to Union a range of intense interests and a commitment to pursuits such as opera, the classics and theater. Every one is a bibliophile. (And then, as Henle notes, there's a secret handshake – but no one's officially talking.)
It is the sense of passion, precisely, that is part of what defines a Henle Scholar.
"Henle Scholars are fascinating difference-makers for whom the joy of engagement and learning is fierce and unequivocal," said Dan Lundquist, vice president for admissions, whose office is responsible for the scholarship selection.
A Union Trustee since 2004, Henle was looking for a way to contribute to Union that was in accord with his beliefs about what makes a college great. He wanted to make a difference while paying tribute to the school that "opened my eyes up to the larger world in wonderful ways.
"My passion has always been the human capital," he said recently. "The real legacy of any school is who the students are and what they are doing after graduation."
"Funding a merit scholarship enables me to bring to campus very talented young people who can make a name for themselves, and in so doing, make a name for the College. Most likely, we would also develop more alumni who can give back with some body of cultural or creative work or otherwise invest in the College."
In many ways, the Henle Scholars are ahead of where Henle was at their age. Growing up in an IBM family in Hyde Park, a small town in New York's Hudson Valley where IBM was a dominant force, Henle entered Union as an electrical engineering student.
Engineering was his father's preference, not his. But going to a liberal arts school, Henle knew he'd have plenty of other options if things didn't work and he decided to go his own way.
Which he did.
After four terms, he switched to economics (known then as industrial economics). That helped lay the groundwork for a successful career in the upper echelons of global finance.
After graduation, he did a stint in the garment business and worked at Irving Trust, a commercial bank, where he met his wife, Joan. The two later went on to earn their MBAs from NYU.
In 1980, Henle began what would become a quarter-century affiliation with the investment banking giant Goldman Sachs, starting in the security sales department and moving through the ranks. In 2001, he was named global head of Private Wealth Management, a service for investors with substantial assets. Currently, he heads DLH Capital, a family investment firm.
Though his gift to Union is substantial — $2 million to endow the new scholarship program — Henle has left the selection process to the College. "I don't want to be opining or sticking my two cents in," he said. "I didn't have a preconceived notion of who the recipients would be.
"I feel great about doing this. These students are young, full of energy, smart and very motivated. I hope I can stay involved and have some influence in their careers beyond Union."
Now, about that handshake…
About the David L. Henle Merit Scholarship
The new David L. Henle Merit Scholarship endowment makes it possible for Union to recognize and support student scholars who demonstrate a unique combination of outstanding talents, accomplishments, academic excellence and the promise of exceptional contribution and commitment to the College community. Each Henle Scholarship is awarded to incoming freshmen for four years of full-time undergraduate study. After the program’s pilot year, the program endowment will enable the College to identify and award between two and six Henle scholars each year.