Q: Why Do People Give To Trinity?

Every year, thousands of alumni, parents, and friends of the College give to Trinity, and have their own compelling reasons for doing so. Whether in memory of a family member, to honor a favorite professor, or to give back to an academic or athletic program that changed one’s life, gifts to the College help make all that happens at Trinity possible. On the following pages, we share three recent gifts that illustrate just a few reasons for giving to Trinity.

A: To Support Extraordinary Faculty

While pursuing a career as a highly respected and successful banking chief executive, Thomas S. Johnson ’62, Hon. ’05, P’97, also extended his leadership skills to his alma mater, serving as a Trinity Trustee from 1983-1992 and 1995-2004 and as Board Chairman from 1996-2002. He has been one of Trinity’s most generous benefactors, with a special commitment to academic excellence and supporting the College’s faculty. Ann Johnson shares her husband’s passion for education, recently retiring as a Trustee at her alma mater, Connecticut College.

Recently, the Johnsons have made an exceptional new gift of $5 million to Trinity to finance two distinguished endowed chairs at the College.

In responding to the Cornerstone Campaign and one of its top goals – to add 16 new endowed faculty chairs at Trinity – Tom Johnson offered the following perspective: “In the long history of the College, we have been blessed with imposing yet compassionate teachers and scholars. We can think of no better way to impact Trinity and its future than by investing in men and women who will make such a profound difference in the lives of the students they will mentor.”

The first Johnson chair has been awarded to Dr. Daniel Blackburn, a professor of biology and a member of Trinity’s faculty since 1988. This chair will be inaugurated at a lecture and ceremony to take place October 30.

The second Johnson faculty chair will be named later in the 2008-2009 academic year.

With this recent generous support from the Johnsons, the College has now secured ten of the 16 new endowed chairs that are among the highest priorities of the Cornerstone Campaign. Such chairs are utilized in recognizing and retaining current members of the faculty, as well as recruiting new teachers and scholars to the faculty.

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