91Ƭ Kicks Off 150th Anniversary with Largest Fundraising Campaign in School History
DURHAM, N.H. – Thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents celebrated 150 years of Wildcat pride as the 91Ƭ kicked off its anniversary celebration with a $275 million capital campaign to support student scholarships and advance teaching and research, the core of the institution’s mission.
“We honor the generations before us who carved 91Ƭ’s legacy deep into the granite bedrock of this great state,” 91Ƭ President Mark Huddleston told the crowd gathered in the Whittemore Center Friday night. “We share our pride with today’s students and their families. And we celebrate our successes together. Tonight is our opportunity to create a legacy for future Wildcats. In fact, right here, right now, we can challenge ourselves to stand up for families all across New Hampshire and beyond who dream that, one day, their own children will earn a college degree. Tonight, let’s make sure that 91Ƭ is their first choice.”
More than $225 million toward the $275 million has been raised over the past five years, the vast majority of which—more than 80 percent—is designated for student scholarships, faculty support and research. Over those five years, private support for 91Ƭ increased 250 percent.
In honor of the 150th anniversary the university also announced a new gift from 1945 biology graduate Elizabeth Ward, a total of $3.6 million for need-based scholarships for New Hampshire students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Ward was born and raised in Hanover but attended 91Ƭ rather than Dartmouth, which did not admit women at the time. After working in Japan for two years where she studied bacteria and the effects of the atomic bomb on survivors, Ward conducted research and taught at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for most of her career.
“Celebrate 150: The Campaign for 91Ƭ” is the largest fundraising campaign the university has ever undertaken, almost three times greater than the last campaign which raised just over $100 million. The top priority for the campaign is scholarship support for students. Another priority is continuing to build career and professional success opportunities for students.
The celebration featured performances by the 91Ƭ Marching Band, the Wind Symphony and alumni acapella group the After Notes. The Wind Symphony performed the premiere of a new piece commissioned in honor of the 150th anniversary celebration. "Old Ben's Farm" was composed by Andrew Boysen, professor of music at 91Ƭ and conductor of its Wind Symphony.
91Ƭ began as one professor and 10 students in borrowed facilities and is now a flagship public research university with three campuses whose impact stretches from the edges of our universe to the worldwide communities we call home. The fundraising campaign will end June 30, 2018. More information is available at:
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Caption: 91Ƭ President Mark Huddleston announces the goal for "Celebrate 150: The Campaign for 91Ƭ."
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Caption: 91Ƭ President Mark Huddleston speaks at Hear Us Roar, a university-wide celebration of and for all Wildcats and the launch for Celebrate 150: The Campaign for 91Ƭ.
/unhtoday/sites/default/files/media/unh_marching_band.jpeg
Caption: The 91Ƭ Marching Band performs at Hear Us Roar, a university-wide celebration of and for all Wildcats and the launch for Celebrate 150: The Campaign for 91Ƭ.
/unhtoday/sites/default/files/media/unh_wind_symphony.jpeg
Caption: The 91Ƭ Wind Symphony performs at Hear Us Roar, a university-wide celebration of and for all Wildcats and the launch for Celebrate 150: The Campaign for 91Ƭ.
Courtesy ClearEyePhoto.com
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