A Remarkable Gift from Jim and Andrea Crook

Dear Colby Community,

Later today we will publicly announce a gift of $8.3 million to Colby by Trustee Jim Crook ’78, P’11 and his wife, Andrea Crook P’11. This remarkable expression of support for the College’s direction includes a significant contribution to the Colby Fund and will name the basketball arena in the new athletic complex. Below is the press release that will go out later today.

The Crooks, whose daughter Lexi was an athlete at Colby, have long been invested in the College’s competitive success. Their daughter’s experience reignited their passion for Colby, and we were fortunate to have Jim join the Board of Trustees two years ago. He brings great vision, insight, and clarity to our discussions, and his commitment to Colby athletics is second to none. It stems from his experience of playing on a winning team and the lifelong relationships he built-and lessons he learned-on the court.

In April we celebrated the endowment of the John “Swisher” Mitchell assistant basketball coach position, which was made possible by Jim Crook’s leadership in rallying alumni and parents to honor the legendary coach. On the occasion of former head coach Dick Whitmore’s retirement, Jim spearheaded a fundraising effort along with a cross generational group of alumni to create the Richard L. Whitmore Jr. Legacy Fund, which supports excellence and competitiveness in Colby’s overall athletic program. In recognition of the nearly $1 million raised for this annual fund, the basketball court was named the Whitmore-Mitchell Court. Both of these acts of philanthropy represent generosity inspired by the lifelong connections forged at Colby, Jim’s interest in motivating fellow former athletes to support Colby’s strategic priorities, and a commitment to supporting our students in their pursuit of competitive success.

Jim sees his athletic experience as instrumental in preparing him for a successful career, which has focused on the health care software and services and venture capital. I am humbled by the generosity he and Andrea have exhibited toward Colby and by the way they continue to inspire others to support a bold vision for this great institution.

David A. Greene
President

Press Release can be found here.

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