by Arthur J. Bellinzoni Professor of religion and director of planned and leadership giving, Wells College
 

In the fall of 1996 I was informed that an alumna of the Class of 1937, who was especially fond of Dr. and Mrs. Weld and the Weld children, Helen Weld Nesbitt ‘32, William E. Weld, Jr., and Frances Weld Shaffer ‘37, wished to make a $250,000 gift for the renovation of Weld House - if Wells could raise by June 30, 1997, the additional $750,000 needed for the project.

I was concerned that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to meet this challenge in eight months time. We were already working on another major challenge for endowment funds for Scholarships for Leaders within the context of the Campaign for Wells College, and we would certainly need time to advance the Weld challenge with our alumnae and friends. The Board of Trustees, nevertheless, accepted the terms of the Weld House challenge at its October meeting, and we began our search for the matching funds.

In making her gift, the anonymous donor further stipulated that the main lounge in Weld House be renovated in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Weld and that student rooms on the first floor be renovated in honor of each of Dr. Weld’s children: Helen, Frances, and William, Jr. And so it will be.

The response to our appeal for funds for the Weld House renovation was beyond all expectations. Four-hundred twenty donors contributed $888,000 to the $750,000 match, providing a total well beyond our goal and the $1,000,000 cost projection, which reflected estimates prepared fours years earlier in 1993. The additional funding allowed us to provide two computer labs, full computer networking to every room, and air-conditioning - items not included in the 1993 plans. When completed in a few weeks, Weld House will be a showcase. In addition, Pleasant Rowland has generously offered her expertise in assisting with the decor.

I want to mention a few very special gifts to the Weld House renovation. Reunion gifts from the Class of 1937: $289,000 (including the challenge gift); the Class of 1942: $13,000; the Class of 1947: $38,000 (to design the terrace and landscaping around Weld); and the Class of 1957: $52,000 (to equip a new computer lab in Weld).

In addition to our anonymous donor, additional leadership gifts were provided by Edmund and Jeannik Littlefield ‘41 (for technology); Susan Wray Sullivan ‘51; Carter and Shirley Schou Bacot ‘58; Charlotte Griffin Weld ‘29 and her daughter Eleanor Weld Reid ‘53; Bob and Allie Prigge Zabriskie ‘32; Barbara Flowers Murray ‘44 and the H. Fort Flowers Foundation; Margie Filter Hostetter ‘62; Lueza Thirkield Gelb ‘52; Ruth Treiber Rauch ‘37; Elise Unhoch Mock ‘56; and Marge Leinroth Gotshall ‘45.

It is difficult to know where to end a list of major donors, but suffice it to say that these 11 gifts provided more than $600,000 of the total toward the $250,000 match. Individual gifts ranged from $5 to $103,000. We sincerely thank all who contributed so generously to this renovation, and I might add that EVERY GIFT COUNTED.

I would now like to invite Dr. and Mrs. William Ernest Weld’s daughters, Francie Weld Shaffer and Helen Weld Nesbitt, to join President Lisa Ryerson, Board Chair Shirley Bacot, and me in front of the doors to cut the ribbon, marking the official opening of the almost-completed Weld House.

Delivered Friday, May 29, 1998 outside Weld House on the Wells campus.