Randolph-Macon College
Announces $7.5 Million in Gifts!
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George Birdsong and
Thomas H. Birdsong, III ’49 |
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R-MC Board of Trustees Chair Macon Brock ’64
and wife, Joan |
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Muscoe Garnett '30 |
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Randolph-Macon College President Robert Lindgren announces six generous gifts to the college totaling $7.5 million. The news was unveiled during a black-tie celebration gala, “A Toast to Randolph-Macon College,” on Friday, October 24, 2008 in the R-MC Brock Sports and Recreation Center. Approximately 650 guests attended the elegant event, including the honorable Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant, Jr. ’86, the Town of Ashland Mayor Faye Prichard and members of the Ashland Town Council.
“This is an exciting time in the life of this wonderful College and we have much to celebrate,” said President Lindgren. “I continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of our alumni at all levels. This is a true testament of the high level of confidence that our donors have in the future of R-MC and the value they place on the quality liberal arts education we provide.”
Alumnus Thomas H. Birdsong, III ’49 and his wife, Connie, made a gift of $1 million which will be directed to help fund a new 100-bed residence hall on campus and support improvements of the athletic facilities. Birdsong earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from R-MC and is currently Chairman of the Board, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the Southwest Division of Birdsong Peanuts. He is a Trustee Emeritus having served on R-MC’s Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1994 and 1995 to 2001.
Additionally, the Birdsong Corporation, based in Suffolk, Virginia, made a gift of $1 million, also to the building of a new residence hall and improvements to the athletic facilities. Birdsong Corporation is the top peanut processor in the Unites States, with shelling plants in Texas and Georgia.
$2 million was received from the estates of Muscoe and Dorothy Garnett of Suffolk, VA. $1 million will be used to create the Garnett Professorship in Mathematics, $500,000 will go to the Garnett-Lambert Professorship in Chemistry, and $500,000 will support a proposed new science building on campus. The estate is being handled by Henry G. Simpson '52 and E. Grier Ferguson.
The College has also received a commitment from the estate of Walter Leslie Devany, III. This commitment will provide $1 million to establish the Walter Leslie Devany, Jr., class of 1908, & Jacqueline Epes Devany Honors Scholarship Fund.
The college received a gift of $1.5 million to support a proposed alumni house. The donors of this generous gift will be formally recognized at a later date.
The college also accepted $1 million from an anonymous donor, who currently serves as a member of the R-MC board of Trustees, to support athletic facility improvements laid out in the College’s new campus master plan.
“The commitment these donors have to Randolph-Macon College is extraordinary, "said Dr. Stephen Long ’82, who serves as chair of the R-MC Board of Trustees Advancement Committee. "I am incredibly proud of their overwhelming support of our college and of its reputation for graduating some of the best and brightest liberal arts students in the country.”
Other major gifts of note include the continuous generosity of R-MC Board of Trustees Chair Macon Brock ’64 and his wife, Joan, of Virginia Beach, VA. The Brocks made a previous commitment of $5 million, a portion of which will be used to support faculty development and teaching through the creation of an endowed professorship.
R-MC is experiencing a strong surge in alumni engagement and support. The Classes of 1957 and 1958 together raised more than $1.8 million dollars. In addition, the percentage of alumni who made a gift to the college in the 2007-2008 academic year reached nearly 31% - up from 23% last year, resulting in an annual fund total that exceeded $1.1 million.
“We are extremely excited about the future of R-MC," said Lindgren. “Tonight is a shining example of what lies ahead for the future of this wonderful College.”
For more information on this exciting announcement, please contact Pam Harris Cox at 752-3712,
pamelacox@rmc.edu or Anne Marie Lauranzon at 804-752-7317,
alauranz@rmc.edu.