Donors and Gifts

Bob Burke ’61, P’83
Bob Burke comes from a Colby family and has stayed involved with his alma mater throughout the decades in a multitude of ways. In June he will return to campus to celebrate his 50th reunion, and he plans to contribute to his class's 50th reunion gift via an IRA. "I believe that the IRA rollover gift option is an excellent way to make a gift to Colby and not have to pay taxes on the amount you withdraw from your IRA," said Bob.
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Clifford “Bump” Bean ’51, P'77, '81, and Dorrie Bean P’77, ’81
We sometimes do things without knowing the impact for years. Take, for example, Clifford “Bump” Bean. As a student he sang in the Glee Club, played in a dance band, and participated in varsity shows at the Waterville Opera House and sometimes even in Boston. He also founded, with seven other students, an a cappella singing group called the Colby Eight.
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Colleen Khoury '64 and David Karraker
In 1998 Colleen Khoury '64 became the first woman dean of the University of Maine School of Law, making her one of only 25 women deans at law schools nationally at the time. She credits her family and upbringing with setting her character, but she says Colby is responsible for the way her life has unfolded.
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David Miller ’51
Inspired by this year’s special Alumni Fund challenge, David Miller doubled his gift, to $2,000. He also took advantage of the IRA Rollover Provision, which allows donors over age 70.5 to make tax-free donations directly from an IRA . . .
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David Pulver '63, P'93
David Pulver has a strong interest in and a deep understanding of student life issues. He has served on the trustees’ Student Affairs Committee since 1983, and as its chair for many years.
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Dennis Connolly '62

When the economy was going sour, Dennis Connolly ’62 waxed enthusiastic about the quarterly annuity check he receives from Colby from the five charitable gift annuities he has established.

Douglas M.  Schair ’67
Doug Schair met Kurt Swenson and Tom Watson in 1963 when all three pledged the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. They ended up as roommates, and so began a lifelong friendship.

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Emily Mahlman ’01
College is becoming increasingly expensive, and many students need financial aid in order to attend. Emily Mahlman wants to help others . . .
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Frank Apantaku ’71 P’09
Frank Apantaku believes that a good liberal arts education should be available to anyone academically capable. Supporting Colby is one way he can work toward making that a reality. . . .
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Frank P'99 and Betsy Stark Roberts ’65
Thousands of Colby students over the years have counted on scholarships in order to attend Colby. Currently, 40 percent of Colby students receive financial aid grants totaling more than $23.8 million this year alone.
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Good Chemistry

Mary Farrell Lacombe '42 established 14 charitable gift annuities at Colby, made the College a beneficiary of a retirement plan, and included Colby in her will. Through careful gift planning, she was able to establish a scholarship fund for Maine students studying chemistry.

Jane Perry Lindquist '51
For Jane Perry Lindquist '51, Colby began to change her perspective on life before she even enrolled: "During my senior year in high school, about thirty of us went up for an overnight in the new dorms on Mayflower Hill.
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Janice Griffith '62, Colby Overseer
Janice Griffith will never forget the day she opened a letter from Colby offering her a full scholarship. “Little did I know then the journey for which Colby would lay the foundation and provide direction,” she said. Because generous donors to Colby made it possible for her dream of a college education to come true, she is showing her appreciation by endowing a scholarship that will help to realize the dreams of future Colby students.
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Jay ’86 and Laurie Haley Allen ’87
Because of their many ties to Colby, James (Jay) '86 and Laurie Haley Allen '87 feel strongly about contributing to the Colby Fund. Jay and Laurie were married in Colby's Lorimer Chapel in 1989 with many Colby friends in attendance . . .
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Jay Scott-Harris '98: Paying It Forward
Jay Scott-Harris’s first visit to Colby was in 1992 when, as a high school sophomore from Kansas City, Kan., he attended the Colby Xerox Summer Institute. The program brought 30 to 40 inner-city students to the College for two weeks for courses with Colby professors and for hiking and camping trips, giving them a taste of Colby and Maine.
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Jeanine Fenwick Starrett '50: Paying It Forward
For Jeanine Starrett ’50, the opportunity to pay it forward to other students from Maine came with a piece of land and a sudden idea from her husband, Peter. “As a former scholarship and aid recipient at Colby, I had always wanted to give back,” said Jeanine, who established the Fenwick-Starrett Scholarship Fund in 1996.
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Joseph F. Meyer '79
Colby had a profound impact on Joe's life, opening doors that he never imagined existed. Upon graduation he completed a Watson Fellowship that allowed him to explore his interests in Asian history and economics, which he initially developed on Mayflower Hill.
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Laura Pavlenko Lutton '94: Raising the Bar
As chair of the Colby Fund, Laura Pavlenko Lutton ’94 oversees hundreds of Colby Fund volunteers and is the engine behind the College’s efforts to restore Colby Fund participation to 50 percent. She keeps the Colby Fund volunteers up to date, runs conference calls and training webinars, rallies excitement and momentum, and keeps everyone on track toward reaching their goals.
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Leonette Wishard '23

In 1963 Leonette Wishard '23 established her first charitable gift annuity at Colby. Today, almost 50 years later, she's still receiving a quarterly annuity check. Today, almost 50 years later, she is Colby's oldest alum at 107, and she's still receiving a quarterly check from that annuity—as well as from several other charitable gift annuities she has established at Colby over the years.

Longest-Serving Class Agent Honored

Multilingual WWII counterintelligence operative, distinguished English professor, father, author, and Colby's longest-serving class agent ever: Franklin Norvish '34 has done it all.

Louise Peterson Forsleff '56
Louise Peterson Forsleff attended Colby only during her sophomore year. She had left Bryn Mawr to be with her fiancé, Parviz Chahbazi ’53, a Colby senior. After Parviz graduated, the couple married and moved to Massachusetts, where Parviz began graduate school.
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Lucia Whittelsey '73

When Lucia Whittelsey '73 was concerned about leaving her savings in the stock market, she turned to Colby. "I have more faith in Colby than I do in the stock market in general," she said.

Meg Smith ’01, Alumni Fund Volunteer
When Meg Smith applied for admission to Colby, she thought the materials she received about the College made grandiose promises. But now, as a recent graduate, she says Colby delivered everything it promised. . . .
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Michael ’66 and Sally Gordon
As the result of a $5-million gift for financial aid from Trustee Michael Gordon ’66 and his wife Sally, one or two Colby students in each class will be able to attend the College with substantial scholarship aid.

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Opportunity and Vision: Jane Whipple Coddington  ’55 and Chandler Coddington
When Jane Whipple agreed to a blind date with a student from the University of Maine, she had no idea it would lead to more than 50 years (and counting) of marriage. Chandler Coddington, UMaine class of '54, was set to attend Maine's homecoming until his date, a Colby student, broke her shoulder. Jane, a good friend of the woman, agreed to accompany Chan instead.
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Peter ’93 and Mandy Ball Caruso ’97
Peter and Mandy Ball Caruso identify Colby as the professional and social foundation of their lives. When they meet other Colby alums, as they frequently do, they’re reminded of the benefits of the small college environment. . . .
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Sigrid Tompkins '38
Sigrid Tompkins '38, a pioneer for women in the legal profession, was a dedicated supporter of Colby and the first woman to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees Executive Committee.

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Stephanie Pulver ’93
Recently, the Pulver Family Foundation made the naming gift for the Pulver Pavilion, an 8,000 square-foot space that will bridge the two existing wings of Cotter Union. The Pulver Pavilion, a large, open space with high barrel vaulted ceilings, will include a café, snack bar, and lounge area.

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Steve '68 and Mary Ford P'05

Steve and Mary Ford established the Ford Family Scholarship in 1995 and have been making outright gifts to it ever since, but in 2006 they decided to think about themselves as well and established a flexible charitable gift annuity.

Still Serving Colby 68 Years Later
The Unites States was still mired in World War II when Kaye Corey graduated in 1943 and became class agent. It was the year Dwight Eisenhower would be named Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and the year Doris Kearns Goodwin ’64 was born.
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Sunil Thakor ’99: Investing in Education
“It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Colby,” said Sunil Thakor ’99, who names the Economics Department and Colby crew as the two biggest influences on his education and his personal development at Colby (aside from meeting his wife, Kristin Fairman Thakor ’99, who is also a Colby grad). Both helped prepare him for his current career with Sands Capital Management, LLC, where he co-manages a $3-billion global growth fund.
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The Isaksens, Endowing Colby's Future
For Marjorie and Fredd Isaksen P’01, supporting Colby is a way of supporting Marjorie’s home state of Maine while directly supporting the college where they saw their daughter, Kirsten, blossom into a well-rounded, knowledgeable adult. . . .
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Thomas ’63 and Patricia Raymond Thomas ’65, P’88
“I was the first Thomas in three generations not to go to Princeton, and I wasn’t so happy as a freshman—until I figured out that Colby was the right place for me,” said Tom Thomas ’63. During his time at Colby, 90 percent of the men were in fraternities, and he was among the other 10 percent. “That ended up being a good thing for me.”
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Whitney Dayton Brunet ’01
After graduating from Colby, Whitney Dayton Brunet ’01 took up running, eventually participating in two marathons and several half marathons. "Colby instilled in me the importance of a balanced life—one that includes working, socializing, and physical activity," said Whitney.

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Mark Lederman '66 Memorial Student Research Fellowships
This summer four Colby students worked on campus as research assistants to Colby professors, thanks to the Mark Lederman '66 Memorial Student Research Fellowship.

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The Goldfarb Center
The Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement facilitates collaborative teaching and research among faculty members and students from different disciplines.
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