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Donors Celebrate Arts & Culture

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img_0113-croppedOn September 21, 2017, lead donors to UMW Arts and Culture programs enjoyed a private celebration at Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont. The annual event recognized Mary Washington alumni, parents, friends, and businesses who made gifts of $1,000 and more during the 2016-2017 academic year to support programs showcasing music, museums, the fine arts, theatre, and special lectures.

Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Keith Mellinger and UMW President Troy Paino talked about the importance of arts and culture in a liberal arts education, as well as the value of sharing events and exhibits within the local community. President Paino thanked donors and said private gifts are essential to preserve and enhance Arts & Culture programming. Following remarks, the galleries at Belmont were opened for private viewing. (Click on the photo at left or visit our online album to see more event photos.)

The UMW Arts and Culture alliance includes the Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series, Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont, the James Monroe Museum, Dance, UMW Galleries, Music, Philharmonic Orchestra, and UMW Theatre. Donors who make qualifying gifts of $1,000 or more from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018, will be invited to next year’s reception. Click here to learn more about supporting Arts & Culture at UMW.

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Links in a Chain

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Peggy Howard Hodgkins ’61 values lifelong friendships that began at Mary Washington. Pictured here are Peggy (left), Lloyd Tilton Backstrom ’61, and Arthur Backstrom, Jr.

Since graduating in 1961, Peggy Howard Hodgkins of Wilton, Maine, proudly has supported her alma mater. This support has come in many forms, including volunteer service as a class agent and through regular gifts to the Fund for Mary Washington.

Peggy credits her enduring love and respect for Mary Washington to the teaching and practice of the traditional Honor Code. “The Honor Code was the base of my experience,” she says. “It was wonderful to live with and be surrounded by people you absolutely trust, and I think it is empowering to be able to carry that honor out into the world as a harbinger of success in business, marriage and one’s personal life.”

Peggy came to Mary Washington after attending high school in New York. She majored in home economics/nutrition and enjoyed social activities with her classmates. “It was four idyllic years of education and living with trust and values on a beautiful campus with gorgeous architecture and trees,” she says. “I could have studied more, but my interest in music and art from those early ‘appreciation classes’ continues to bring joy to my life on a daily basis. I also cherish the honor system and many precious, lifelong friendships.”

After receiving her degree, Peggy moved to Maine and married. Through the years, she put her education and leadership skills to work in managing various family-owned businesses and properties. An avid promoter of women’s issues, she was involved with the American Association of University Women and served on boards of directors in the fields of business, religion, medicine, television, and education. She and her husband had three children, and today she is a proud grandmother of six and a great-grandmother to one.

In response to recognition as one of UMW’s decades-long consecutive donors, Peggy points out the size of her gifts. “I’m definitely not a top donor, but I guess you could say my annual gifts to the Fund for Mary Washington are like small links in a chain,” she says. “I want to keep that chain going, so I plan to keep giving. It feels good, and I know each gift is important.”

Spring 2017 Heritage Newsletter

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heritage-spring-2017_page_1-copyLearn about the lives and careers of Mary Washington alumni: Helen Davenport Smith 1919, Elizabeth Fischer Gore ’49, Joyce Lee Smith ’58, Phyllis Quinn ’77, and Paola Maldonado-Torres ’13.

See how their Mary Washington experiences impacted their lives, and how they have committed to paying it forward.

Click here to read the spring edition of this 6-page newsletter from the University of Mary Washington.

Amphitheatre Gift Honors Family Legacy

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In 1948, Louise Garnett Goodwin ’30 ran for Fredericksburg City Council in an attempt to become the first woman to hold elected office. She did not win, but today her daughter – Mary Katherine Greenlaw ’61 – has the distinction of being the first woman elected mayor of Fredericksburg.

Recently, Mary Katherine honored her mother’s memory by making a louise garnett 1930 yearbook_Page_048 - thumbnail$10,000 gift to the UMW Amphitheatre Challenge. “Mother passed away in 1997, but as we continue to read her diaries and go through her scrapbooks, we’re learning just how much Mary Washington meant to her,” says Mary Katherine.

Louise attended college through a Kiwanis Club scholarship and majored in chemistry and physical education. She was involved in numerous activities, including field hockey, basketball, soccer, and dance. In 1928, she served in the May Court during the ceremonial crowning of the May Queen. After graduating, Louise went on to teach Latin and coach girl’s basketball at Fredericksburg High School and later in the Belmont section of Spotsylvania.

“She loved Mary Washington as a student, and she continued to be involved as an alumna and member of the Fredericksburg community,” says Mary Katherine. “When I was a child, I remember being at the college all the time for various events, so the campus is very much a part of my experience as well. In fact, my son, two daughters-in-law, and two grandsons are also UMW alumni.”

1928-may-court-for-webMary Katherine says she is proud to support UMW’s Amphitheatre Challenge. “Knowing that Mother was a part of the May Day Court in 1928 and that the campus and the Amphitheatre were a huge part of her life, I felt this was a great way to preserve history and honor her legacy at Mary Washington.”

The Amphitheatre Challenge continues at UMW as the deadline of May 1, 2017, draws near. Last year, the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation in Richmond, Virginia, offered UMW a challenge grant of $125,000 to support a $3 million restoration of the historic Amphitheatre. To receive the challenge grant, UMW alumni, parents, and friends must make NEW gifts to the Amphitheatre totaling at least $125,000. To offer your support before May 1, 2017, visit giving.umw/achallenge or call 540-654-1024.

 

Article written by Donna Harter, Executive Director of Advancement Initiatives

Amphitheatre Update

Thanks to hundreds of gifts from alumni, parents, and friends, UMW met the one-year Amphitheatre Challenge to qualify for a $125,000 matching grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation.

As of May 22, 2017, UMW has received a total of $2.75 million in gifts and pledges toward the capital project’s $3 million goal.