Campaign Update

Photo by Stanley Blanchard

Renaissance at Rensselaer: the Campaign for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earned a boost at Reunion 2005 to reach $650 million in gifts and commitments.

At the annual Rensselaer Alumni Association Awards reception, after receiving the 2005 Distinguished Service Award, Samuel Wait ’53, associate dean of science at Rensselaer, surprised President Jackson and touched the audience by presenting a check toward his own commitment to the campaign — the Carol D. and Samuel C. Wait Jr. ’53 Undergraduate Research Scholars fund.

The Waits’ gift added to outstanding campaign support by returning alumni classes, including the 50th Reunion Class of 1955, which earned the President’s Award for participation with 54 percent of the class contributing, and the Reunion Award for the greatest number of new Patroons. The Chairman’s Award for highest total class gift went to the Class of ’60, with more than $3.8 million in gifts and commitments. Not surprisingly, they also achieved the largest increase in dollars to the Annual Fund. Among the younger classes, the Class of ’80 earned the Ernie Nippes ’38 Award for the largest increase in donors, and the Class of ’70 earned the Annual Fund award for highest class gift to the Annual Fund.

For more information about Renaissance at Rensselaer: the Campaign for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, contact Terri Cerveny at (518) 276-2634 or by e-mail at vanpat@rpi.edu. Look for more photos and coverage of Reunion in the fall issue of Rensselaer.