Gift of Sketch Books
a "Coup" for Museum

by J. Kevin Cool

Three sketch books by William Glackens (1870-1938), a member of The Eight, or Ashcan School, recently were donated to the Colby Museum of Art by the Sansom Foundation, founded by the artist's late son, Ira. The gift to Colby came about as the result of the friendship between Stanford Becker, a board member of the foundation, and Paul J. Schupf, a Colby trustee and member of the museum's board of governors who has been a major supporter of the museum over the last decade.

When Ira Glackens died, most of the paintings in his estate were distributed to the foundation and the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Museum. Subsequently, the foundation decided to distribute certain works to educational institutions, Becker says. He contacted Schupf, a long-time client and "a very close friend," about the possibility of donating three Glackens sketch books to Colby. "Paul thought it was a fine idea," Becker said. "There was no purpose in keeping them in a warehouse collecting dust. They should be in a place where they can be seen and appreciated."

Schupf says he was on the phone to President Bill Cotter "in about two seconds" after Becker's call. "President Cotter wrote a brilliant letter outlining what the Colby museum had and its focus on American art. Colby has other works by artists from the Group of Eight, so this was a good match," Schupf said.

Cotter called the Glackens sketch books "magnificent." "We don't have in our collection a major Glackens work, so this is a wonderful addition to the museum," he said. "We are extremely grateful to Sandy Becker, to Paul and to the foundation."
Schupf, who earlier this year contributed an additional $500,000 toward construction of the Katz Wing at the museum, said having the Glackens sketch books "is a big coup for Colby." "The foundation distributed books to a few carefully selected institutions, including Colby," he said.

Schupf praised Becker's persuasiveness in convincing the Sansom Foundation to place Colby on its list of benefactors. "Sandy has a great bedside manner and he is a very trustworthy guy, so his recommendation to the foundation carried a lot of weight."

The three sketch books contain a total of 106 charcoal, pencil and red chalk drawings. They include landscapes, views of parks and towns and fully modeled human figures. "Sketch books provide the viewer with a special opportunity to see the spontaneous response of the artist to subject matter," Museum Director Hugh Gourley said.

Gourley says Glackens--who was a newspaper illustrator early in his career--was dismissed by most critics of his time because of his realistic portrayal of everyday life. Glackens and seven other artists, including Robert Henri, are credited with liberating artists from the constraints of academicians when, in 1907, they mounted their own exhibition in defiance of the National Academy of Design, which had rejected many of their submissions. They were derisively referred to as The Ashcan Group. As Glackens began to devote more of his time to painting, Gourley says, he was influenced by the work of the French Impressionists, especially Renoir.

"We are particularly fortunate to receive such fine works by a major figure in the development of 20th-century American art," Gourley said.

The Marsons Keep Giving
 It was a classic win-win situation. David Marson '48, who, along with his wife, Dorothy, recently established a $100,000 charitable remainder trust for Colby, said the gift satisfied both his need for retirement income and for providing an important source of funds for the College.

Marson retired recently as chief executive officer of The New Can Company Inc., a Holbrook, Mass., firm that manufactures metal tubes and components for the filter industry. Marson and his brother, Richard, have operated the family business since the 1950s. As he planned for his retirement, Marson says he was looking for a way to help his alma mater without overextending himself financially.
"I needed something that would provide some significant cash flow during my retirement, but also help Colby. The remainder trust was a good way to achieve both of those," he said.

Based on a 5 percent return on a $100,000 principle, the trust would provide approximately $130,000 in before-tax income for the next 17 years. As the principle appreciates over the trust's life span, the benefit to Colby would be $229,000. The unitrust would provide income for Marson, who is 68, every year until age 95.

Marson has long been one of the College's most active and supportive alumni. He previously has served as chair of the Annual Fund, chair of the Alumni Council and a member of the Alumni Council Structure Task Force, an overseer and vice chair of the Board of Trustees. Both Dave and Dorothy currently serve as correspondants for the Class of `48 and have won Colby Bricks, and he received the Marriner Distinguished Service Award. His family provided funds for the Marson Common Ground Room in the Student Center.

Marson says he has been back to Colby in 44 of the 47 years since his graduation. "Dorothy and I have put about 40,000 miles on our cars, driving back and forth to Waterville," he said. "Colby has always had a great feeling of camaraderie, which made it easy to return."

He holds the College and its president in high esteem. "I see Colby as a real citadel of higher learning," Marson said. "And Bill Cotter is one of the finest chief executives I've ever met."

Marson, whose daughter Deborah is a 1975 Colby graduate, says his long and deep association with the College has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his life. "So many of my closest relationships have Colby connections. It's only natural for me to want to give back to it," he said.

"A Ticket to Opportunity"
Strengthening an already deep commitment to supporting African-American students, David and Marina Ottaway, parents of Robin Ottaway `95, have established a full tuition scholarship with a $300,000 gift to Colby's endowment. David Ottaway, whose professional career has included stints as a South African correspondent for The Washington Post, says he and his wife established the scholarship to help Colby attract African-American students and to honor African leader Nelson Mandela. Marina Ottaway is an African scholar and author who has collaborated with David on three books and wrote her own book about South Africa.

"While we fully realize that one scholarship does not solve the problem, we know that Colby has had difficulty attracting minority students because of its location," David Ottaway said. He says the scholarship was named for Mandela, whom he first met while living in South Africa soon after Mandela was released from prison in 1990, because "we really admire him and see him as a symbol of racial reconciliation."

President William Cotter says he has known the Ottaways "for a very long time," dating back to when Cotter was president of the African American Institute. "David was working on South African issues at that time and so was I and that's how we came to know each other," Cotter said.

Ottaway, who still spends much of his time in Africa for The Post, says he was overseas during most of Robin's four years at Colby. Not forgotten, however, was a discussion he and Marina had with Cotter about minority scholarships when their son was in his first year at Colby. When they met again last year, the Ottaways followed up with a proposal to create a special scholarship for African-American students with need. "We see education as the only way out for African Americans," Ottaway said. "They are disadvantaged in so many ways. Education is a ticket to opportunity."

The Ottaways have funded African-American scholarships at other institutions, including fellowships for children at a private Quaker school in Washington, D.C. and fellowships for doctoral students at Columbia University. Recipients of the Mandela scholarships will be selected on their academic ability and financial need. The scholarship will support four years of the student's education at Colby, at which time another recipient will be chosen.

"David and Marina are both fascinating people," Cotter said. "It's extraordinary to receive a gift of this kind from current parents. It's a great help for the campaign, which focuses on financial aid endowment, and their particular interest in helping minority students makes it even more special."

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