Enduring effects
Legacy gifts vital to future generations of Bantams
By Christine Sanni
Brendan Clark ’21 stands as a testament to the lasting impact an institution can have on its students—and the lasting impact students can have on the institution. Clark’s story begins, like many others, with an education that transformed his life.
“Trinity is not just any college,” says Clark, a corporate attorney in Wilmington, Delaware. “It is the place where I learned how to reason, how to argue, and how to act as a leader in the world.”
He goes on to say that “a Trinity education, in 1823, in 2023, or long after, will always remain central and relevant to the formation of the next leaders in the world.” For this reason, Clark says, he has done something that not many of his peers have considered: elected to name Trinity in his will. “My bequest is a statement of my faith in Trinity.”
Clark, who also serves as the Class of 2021 secretary and as a class agent, is following a long-standing tradition of many Trinity alumni. William G. Mather, Class of 1877, M.A. 1885, Hon. 1932, solidified his legacy at Trinity not only during his lifetime by gifting the Chapel to the College but also after his death, through a monumental gift in his will. In 1959, Trustee Martin W. Clement, Class of 1901, Hon. 1951, proposed that $500,000 of Mather’s bequest be used to name the new student center after him—thus, the William Gwinn Mather Student Center, now known as Mather Hall, was born.
Other transformative bequests to Trinity include the clock tower that was built thanks to a bequest from Louis W. Downes, Class of 1888, Hon. 1913, who had long dreamed of the structure adorning the space between the Chapel and Williams Memorial.
Throughout its history, Trinity has benefited from the generosity of donors whose influence extends far beyond their lifetimes, and the tradition continues today with alumni such as Clark and others who, through Trinity’s All In campaign, have helped to raise millions through planned gifts, including bequests and annuities.
Clark’s decision to include Trinity in his will places him within a growing group of alumni known as the Elms Society. Members of the Elms Society frequently speak of how their Trinity education changed their lives. Trinity Board of Trustees Vice Chair Walt Harrison ’68, H’18, former president of the University of Hartford, says he credits his time at the College with shaping his intellectual and personal development, while retired investment banker and former Trustee Sophie Bell Ayres ’77, P’12, says, “The Trinity community has played a central role in my life ever since the moment I stepped on campus as a student-athlete; the experience was a true gift to me that gave me wings.” Former Trustee Steve Elmendorf ’82, a political aide and lobbyist, says he attributes his success to two influential professors, Clyde McKee and Jack Chatfield ’64, who “imparted an invaluable context of the past, taught me how governments function, and provided a palette for creating my future.”
These transformative experiences are at the heart of why many Elms Society members give back: They want future students to have the same opportunities. “Trinity gave me the foundation,” says former Trustee Patrice Ball-Reed ’80, an associate judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois. “I want future students to have the same opportunities.” Liz Hanusovsky Patterson ’05, Trinity’s director of annual giving who also is a regular Trinity College Fund donor, adds, “Joining the Elms Society was an easy way to make a lasting commitment to my alma mater and the generations of Bantams to come.”
For many, the bonds with Trinity are as strong as those with family. Jerry Hansen ’51, P’78, ’84, ’88, GP’12, ’16, ’20, whose Bantam connections span decades as a student, alumnus, administrator, volunteer, parent, and grandparent, sees the College as his second family. “Family means everything to me, and Trinity is family,” he says.
Today, Ayres, Elmendorf, and former Trinity Trustee Doug Tansill ’61, P’91, ’96 co-chair the legacy portion of the College’s All In campaign, alongside honorary co-chairs Ball-Reed, Hansen, and Tom Johnson ’62, P’97, whose recent $10 million bequest was documented in the winter 2025 issue of The Trinity Reporter. The goal of this portion of the campaign is to raise $100 million by the close of June 2025. With nearly $95 million already raised, the College is on track to reach this ambitious goal.
“Trinity is in my will,” says Interim Vice President for Advancement Carrie Pelzel ’74. “Someday my bequest will create an endowed scholarship fund in the name of my parents. It is my way of honoring the sacrifices they made for me to attend Trinity and to give the gift of a Trinity education to others. Thank you to all in our community who have contributed to the College through planned gifts.”
To add your support to the All In campaign with a bequest provision, please contact Beth Cahill, assistant vice president for advancement, at [email protected].
All In campaign legacy portion
Co-Chairs
Sophie Bell Ayres ’77, P’12
Steve Elmendorf ’82
Doug Tansill ’61, P’91, ’96
Honorary Co-Chairs
Patrice Ball-Reed ’80
Jerry Hansen ’51, P’78, ’84, ’88, GP’12, ’16, ’20
Tom Johnson ’62, P’97
