By Carolyn Bunn Wood ‘52 

President Ryerson, President Ludlow, members of the faculty, alumnae, and friends:

When Lark phoned me last fall about this event, she was suffering from a severe cold, and I was convinced that she had dialed the wrong number. It is overwhelming to be included among the many truly distinguished alumnae who have received this award in the past. The only rationale I can find is that I have been around longer than most and might recall on this, the 125^th anniversary of the Alumnae Association, a goodly number of alumnae who have brought real distinction to this college we all love.

In fact, it was during my first year on the Wells board that the first ten alumnae award winners were named. Let me say a word or two about a few of them. Margaret Sessions Burke ‘25 was a dear friend and my Wells mentor with whom I drove to and from Aurora for many fundraising meetings. Sesh had also served as secretary of the Alumnae Association and as chair of the Alumnae Fund. She was a trustee for 13 years and referred to herself as "Dr. Long’s loyal opposition." The Margaret Sessions Burke Scholarships are named in her honor. Sesh had two remarkable sisters-in-law: the late Agnes Burke Harding and Mary Poston Burke, both of the Class of 1934 and both loyal supporters of Wells.

Still serving on the board when I became a member were Henrietta Titzel Campbell ‘12, Elizabeth Marshall Clark ‘14, Pauline Norgan Dodge ‘16, and Helen Milliken Nash ‘14. Those four ladies had served as active trustees a total of 133 years! In 1968 they and Jane King Truesdale ‘28 (who had served 24 years) were named honorary trustees, and term limits for trustees were introduced. These five alumnae were the last of the long-term grande dames of the board. 

Mrs. Dodge was the great niece of Lewis Henry Morgan, the first elected trustee of the college who served from 1868-1881. Her father, William Fellowes Morgan, served as chairman of the board from 1927-1940. Polly Dodge was a lifelong pillar of this college. In many ways she was Wells College. She was an active trustee for 44 years, interested in every facet of the college and a major benefactress. With her aristocratic bearing, her snow-white hair, and an ever-present twinkle in her bright blue eyes, she was a familiar sight on campus. She knew every maid and groundsman by name and was beloved by all. Dodge House is named in her honor.

Mildred Walker Schemm ‘26, an author and educator, served on the Wells faculty from 1955-1968 when she became professor of English emerita. Mrs. Schemm gave the fall convocation address the year of the centennial of the Alumnae Association. On that occasion she challenged students to: "Be women who make a choice. Choose to quicken the atmosphere. Make (yours) so vital an experience, so illuminated by new knowledge and new perspectives, so animated by a deep purpose, that you will find yourselves returning to it for inspiration again and again."

Wells award winners represent a broad spectrum of knowledge and accomplishment. Their numbers include: educators, college officers, doctors, writers, missionaries, civic leaders, conservationists, business executives, volunteers, lawyers, scientists, diplomats - an opera singer, an actress, and the first woman and alumna chair of the Wells College Board of Trustees. Countless other alumnae, as yet unrecognized, are making their mark on society now.

What have they experienced at Wells that has given them that "deep purpose" to which Mrs. Schemm referred? Each of us thinks of this college as a special place. Each of us has particular memories and particular associations that we cherish. Who could not be moved by the beauty of this campus and its extraordinary setting? Wells is an intimate community of students and scholars. Because of its size students make lifelong friends among classmates and fellow students older and younger than they. They meet in small classes where they are taught and challenged by dedicated professors whom they come to know as friends as well as mentors. (My brothers who attended my graduation and are here again today sometimes like to tease me about my "little college in the rain belt." It is important for them to know that at Wells, unlike Harvard and Princeton, there are no teaching assistants.)

The ability to develop as an individual goes well beyond the seminar room or laboratory. At Wells every student has the opportunity to participate in and assume leadership roles in a variety of areas. In my first year at Wells I found myself one of two freshmen elected to the Service League cabinet. In those days daily chapel services were conducted by students, members of the faculty, or members of the administration. Chapel was not compulsory, but many students and faculty members attended rather faithfully. The students sat in the lower seats, and the deans and faculty members peered down from the shelf above. I can still remember the terror I experienced as one of the first freshmen assigned to give a chapel speech. Certainly, that learning experience was as painful for my audience as it was for me.

Sports have always been an important part of my life, and I enjoyed serving on the A.A. board and playing on my class and college teams in field hockey and basketball. Although we did not have a formal team, I do remember Mrs. Maloney corralling enough of us to play golf against Cornell my senior year.

Of all the extracurricular activities in which I engaged, however, I think it was as an officer of the Collegiate Association and work with the Judicial Committee that gave me the greatest understanding and appreciation of the qualities that make Wells unique. The honor system and the decision-making opportunities granted students in the management of myriad student organizations developed in us a true sense of pride and responsibility.

As a sociology major I had the rare privilege of taking a number of courses in both sociology and economics from Professor Jean Scobie Davis. Miss Davis, as all old-timers know, was a legend. She was a professor of sociology and economics from 1928-1957, and she was one of the most brilliant women I have ever known. Her unique character and remarkable story-telling ability have been captured by my erudite freshman sister, Jane Marsh Dieckmann ‘55, in her recent history of the college. (If, by chance, you haven’t read Jane’s work, I urge you to do so; it is a treasure.)

Miss Davis was deeply interested in prison reform, and she was a member of the board of visitors of the New York State Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York for 36 years. Her majors who lived in the New York metropolitan area will never forget the pilgrimages to Bedford Hills during Christmas vacation of junior and senior years. There we visited the reformatory, climbed into a paddy wagon, and, after clearing two sets of security gates, gave a Christmas party at the maximum security prison.

Another professor I knew much less well but have never forgotten was Professor William Sener Rusk. Foolishly, I waited until senior year to take his course in the history of art. Dr. Rusk had the uncanny ability to make paintings live and other works of art and architecture to take on singular characters of their own. He came to mind time and time again the year after we were graduated when a friend and I were visiting Europe. I particularly remember entering the Basilica in Assisi to see the Giotto frescoes. As I studied one, I heard Dr. Rusk’s words: "Overhead are the angels fluttering in ecstatic agony." Hank and I are frequent visitors of the Metropolitan and other museums, and I am forever grateful to Dr. Rusk for having opened my eyes to the world of art.

Dr. Rusk’s dry wit was universally appreciated, and his annual running commentary on the student-faculty hockey game was classic. Those games were also remarkable. The faculty team was weighted with talent. Mrs. Maloney and Miss Carnel brought in ringers from the village in the persons of Hat Avery and Les Zabriskie and filled out the team with enthusiasts like Professor Carter Woods. Professor Woods was a true Dartmouth Indian. He played field hockey with wild abandon. At 6’2" or taller he wielded the hockey stick like a polo mallet, and students quickly learned to give him plenty of room. In our senior year President Long, who from a distance resembled William Howard Taft, filled the goal. The outcome of those games seems to be dim in my memory.

Two alumnae professors who were very popular at the time were Mary Elizabeth Bohannon ‘27, a distinguished historian, who taught at Wells from 1936 until her death in 1963, and Evelyn Carroll Rusk ‘20, a professor of mathematics for 44 years and a revered dean of the college from 1938-1951.

As I think of memorable professors of the past, I would like to say just a few words to the faculty today. You are the heart of this institution. You are first and foremost a teaching faculty. That is Wells’ strength. But you are also scholars who publish and regularly invite students to join you in basic research. You care about students’ individual interests and help them design programs of study which enable them to realize their fullest potential. You help them find meaningful internships, and it is because of you that so many of our students go on to graduate or professional school. I am aware of the wide variety of non-academic assignments so many of you willingly undertake for the good of this college.

It would be wrong of me to single out individuals for fear of omission, but I am always proud to read of your accomplishments. I am glad there are now awards which recognize excellence in teaching and excellence in advising. Henry Adams said: "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." I salute you!

President Louis Jefferson Long came to Wells in the spring of my junior year, and it was my privilege to come to know him very well. He made a lasting impression on me. He frequently called me to his office to query me about Wells’ traditions, student concerns, judicial or Collegiate matters - even college appointments. At one session he explained that he had exercised poor judgement with regard to an appointment and he apologized. I have never forgotten that conversation. It was proof to me that Dr. Long was a big man in more ways than one.

One day in the fall I was summoned - and this is an indication of how times have changed. Dr. Long said, "Carolyn, why is it the students don’t want to smoke in their rooms?" I was stunned! I hastened to explain that such a thing wouldn’t be possible; our buildings were extremely old and the fire hazard would be too great. "No," he said quietly, "the first thing I did this summer was to have every building on this campus outfitted with new sprinklers and smoke detectors. I feel students would get more work done if they spent less time in smoking rooms." He then stipulated that every student who wished to smoke in her room must have a metal wastebasket and a safety ashtray. Metal wastebaskets were provided by the college, and I knew what to do about the ashtrays.

Tudy Crandall Kenyon was the most creative and ingenious member of our class (and sometimes the most mischievous). At the first mention of a future student union building, it was she who instigated all manner of fund-raising ventures to provide the first seed money for that project. I swore her to secrecy about Dr. Long’s proposal; and that afternoon, after our last classes, we jumped into her 1929 model-T Ford equipped with a rumble seat and set forth for Auburn. There we scoured every likely store and returned with a full stock of safety ashtrays for which we had paid 15 cents apiece. For the benefit of the student union building fund we decided to charge 25 cents. A Collegiate meeting had been scheduled the following evening, and while that was in progress Tudy set up shop just outside the chapel. The last order of business was received with noisy approbation (by the smokers, at least) and a stampede for quarters and ashtrays ensued. Tudy’s efforts for the student union building are noted on a plaque at the rear entrance of that building.

Dr. Long was a builder. When he came to Wells the physical plant was badly in need of attention. He set out, by degrees, to see that repairs and improvements were made - not only on campus but in faculty homes, the Aurora Inn, and Taylor House. How thrilled he would have been to see the recent transformations made possible by Pleasant Thiele Rowland ‘62 - and what a role model she is for students who question the relevance of a liberal arts education to business pursuits! Dr. Long believed in quality across the board and also felt the college must adapt to the changing needs of students.

Looking back on the leadership of Wells over the last 48 years I am convinced that, for the most part, we have been fortunate to have the right president at the right time. Outstanding leadership, as defined by Stanford University’s Leadership Academy, "enables an organization to endure and excel, innovate and create." Presidents Long, Wilson, Farenthold, Peterson, and Plane each had his or her own style of leadership; and each addressed the issues of the time with diligence and dedication. They have served this college well!

With the advent of our first alumna president in 1995 Wells has entered a new dynamic era. Lisa Marsh Ryerson ‘81 has brought a new spirit and dimension to this college community. Her vision, energy, enthusiasm, and leadership are extraordinary.

On campus, Lisa credits her "strong management team" for the successful day-to-day operation of the college and indeed Dean Ellen Hall; Diane Hutchinson, treasurer; Susan Ryan, dean of students; Susan Raith Sloan ‘86, director of admissions; and Arthur Bellinzoni, acting vice president for external relations, work hard and tirelessly and deserve our praise.

Off campus, Lisa is an eloquent spokeswoman for women’s causes, for higher education in general, and women’s education in particular. An active member of several professional educational organizations, she has just been honored by the State of New York. She carries the Wells message far and wide and is a convincing fundraiser.

In her address last evening you learned of some of the decisions and initiatives that have been made and undertaken recently and of some of the exciting projects planned for the future. Thanks to the united efforts of every constituency of this college in implementing the directives of the Critical Issues Action Committee and the outstanding leadership of our president and her "team," Wells is poised to enter the next millennium with confidence and strength.

Through the years the alumnae of Wells have become more and more involved with the college. The last three of the board chairs have been alumnae. The first was my classmate and dear friend, Janet Taylor Reiche ‘52. She was succeeded by Shirley Schou Bacot ‘58, and, in 1998, by Margie Filter Hostetter ‘62 (who also happens to be vice president, secretary and treasurer of Xerox). Currently, there are 13 alumnae filling a wide variety of positions on this campus. Two who have been serving with distinction since 1983 are Linda Schwab ‘73, professor of chemistry, and Jeri Vargo ‘70, head librarian.

Alumnae have become more and more involved with recruitment and sharing their own professional expertise with students on campus and through internships, many of which they have sponsored. Through thick and thin alumnae have also continued to increase their gifts to the college and have, thereby, provided essential relief to the operating budget.

The current $50 million comprehensive campaign is the largest ever undertaken in Wells history; and its success, to date, is a reflection not only of the extraordinary generosity of alumnae and friends but of their conviction that this treasured college in Aurora, New York, has an important role to play in higher education in the 21^st century. We are now within reach of our $50 million goal and are confident that we will raise the remaining $5 million by June 2000. There is no way that we can adequately acknowledge the concerted efforts of the Development Office and of Arthur Bellinzoni, in particular. In addition to being a gifted professor of religion, a popular adviser, scholar, and author, Arthur became director of planned and leadership giving in 1992; and he, more than anyone, has been responsible for the steady growth of Wells’ endowment. Arthur’s devotion and personal generosity to Wells during the last 38 years have been inspiring. It is a genuine pleasure to work with him and, on behalf of everyone involved with this campaign, I would like to express to him our profound gratitude.

In closing, I return to words of President Long: "To all those who love Wells, it means fond memories of a warm and glowing past, it means confidence in the wisdom, integrity, and charity of all who make up the college in the present; and it means determination to realize all the possibilities of a challenging future - for a Wells education, reaching back as it does into yesterday for traditional strength, fulfills its creative purpose only in giving soundness of mind and heart and body to the women of tomorrow." Thank you. May God bless this college.

Delivered Saturday, May 29, 1999, in Phipps Auditorium, Wells College