Recognition Societies - Stillwater Society
The University of Maine Stillwater
Society was created in 2000 to recognize individuals
who have made significant financial contributions to the
University of Maine. Donors are eligible for the Society based on
their cumulative outright gifts and irrevocable planned gifts at
the following levels:
|
Platinum Level - $1,000,000+ |
|
Gold Level - $500,000 |
|
Silver Level - $100,000 |
|
Bronze Level - $25,000 |
New members are inducted at a formal
recognition dinner each year and presented with a pin symbolic of
their respective Stillwater Society level. Members at the Platinum
level receive additional special recognition. Nearly 500 alumni
and friends are currently Stillwater Society members. Their
generous gifts have provided the margin of excellence that
distinguishes UMaine today.
The Stillwater Presidential Award for
Achievement
In May 2001, the Stillwater Society began
awarding The Stillwater Presidential Award for
Achievement. This award honors exceptional
achievement by members of the University of Maine family. Nearly
20 alumni have been recognized for their achievements to date. The
award is bestowed by the president of the University of Maine on
behalf of the Stillwater Society.
2007 Honorees
-
Richard Collins '59 and Anne Collins '61
-
William and Betsy '55 Leitch
-
Philip Morse '64 and Susan Morse '64
-
Thomas '68 and Sally Savage
2006 Honorees
-
H. Allen Fernald '54 & Sally Carroll
Fernald '55
-
Douglas B. Hall '81
-
Dr. Rajendra Singh '77 & Neera Singh
-
Elsie P. Viles
2005 Honorees
-
Colby H. Chandler '50
-
Alvin S. McNeilly '44
-
Dr. Carolyn E. Reed '72
-
Hon. John H. Reed '42
2004 Honorees
-
A. Manette Ansay '87
-
Michael T. Bordick '88
-
Douglas E. Kneeland '53, '05H
-
Hon. William W. Treat '40
2003 Honorees
-
Sanford E. Phippen '64
-
John M. Rohman '68
-
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe '69
-
Gary F. Thorne '70
2002 Honorees
-
Douglas J. DeAngelis '88
-
Janine di Giovanni '83
-
Dr. Mary-Vesta Marston-Scott '46
-
Amb. Chester E. Norris, Jr. '51
2001 Honorees
-
Dr. Bernard Lown '42, '82H
-
Thomas E. Lynch '38
-
Dr. Mary C. Mulvey '30, '91H
Click for a gallery of 2007 Stillwater Reception Photos
To read
news article: UMaine Announces Million Dollar Gift at Stillwater
Society Dinner Where Four Distinguished Alumni Couples Were
Recognized for Their Philanthropy To Their Alma Mater
Richard Collins '59 and Anne Collins '61
Returning to Maine in the mid-90’s
after living abroad, Dick and Anne Collins ’59 and ’61 soon
found themselves helping out their alma mater.
“We were asked to do various things and
since we had been away for so long, we decided, ‘why not!’’’
Anne says. “We kept going from there. We really enjoy it.”
Since then, Anne and Dick, who live in
Key Largo and maintain a summer home in Northport, have served
on committees, raised funds for building projects, and
established scholarships. They are organizing their class
reunions and are helping lead Campaign Maine.
The couple are determined to impress
upon others the importance of giving and to set the stage for a
new generation of philanthropists who will support the
University of Maine.
“We love this University,” says Dick.
“We want to make sure it continues to grow and make a positive
difference in the lives of our young people.”
The knowledge and skills they acquired
at UMaine provided a strong foundation for the couple who have
lived all over the globe thanks to Dick’s job with an
international insurance company. Because they met a variety of
people at the University, “we learned how to interact with
others,” says Anne, a retired teacher.
After working with people from at least
80 different countries, Dick has come to realize that everyone
everywhere has the same goals and dreams.
“We all have a lot in common,” he says.
“Anne and I just hope to make things a little better for
everyone.”
William and Betsy '55 Leitch
Wish you were here!
Postcards from all over the world help
Betsy ‘55 and Bill Leitch keep tabs on University of Maine
students who get to travel thanks to the couple’s generous
gifts.
Because of the Leitches’ contributions
to the Honors College Travel and Research Fund, among others,
UMaine students have been able to attend conferences and perform
research in many different states and countries.
One student visited Ellis Island to
learn about his family history. Another spent time at a cheetah
rehabilitation center in Kenya. This year, several are studying
in Amsterdam.
Betsy and Bill delight in the hundreds
of entertaining and informative posts they receive from young
people enjoying their worldly experiences.
“The students are very good about
sending postcards,” says Betsy, a retired economist. “We keep
them for years.”
The Leitches, who live in Newtonville,
Mass., are gratified knowing they’re helping students expand
their horizons and develop new perspectives. “Having
opportunities to see the differences among people is important
to living a good life,” Betsy says.
Bill likes to think he and Betsy are
setting a good example.
“My great hope is that, in another 15
years when these students have some money, they’ll try to do
something for other people, too.”
Philip Morse '64 and Susan Morse '64
Phil Morse ’64 remembers Room 236 in
Corbett Hall with special fondness.
“That’s where I was in 1960 when Bill
Mazeroski hit his winning home run for the Pirates. I was
sitting by the window with a couple of guys, looking out across
the campus and listening to the World Series on the radio. It
was a great event,” says Phil who has lots of wonderful memories
of the University of Maine.
A star athlete who played first base
for the Black Bears, Phil jokes that he was “more aggressive on
the baseball field than academics.” Still, after graduating he
founded a company that manufactures parts to diagnose and treat
heart disease.
He and Susan ’64, who belonged to the
University’s prestigious All Maine Women Honor Society and is a
retired educator, live in Glens Falls, N.Y. The couple, along
with Harold Alfond, made the naming gift for the Harold Alfond
Stadium and Morse Field.
“We love UMaine,” says Phil, who
credits the University with reinforcing the family values he got
at home. “It was a wonderful place to go to school. The
professors were caring and attentive. Everyone was friendly. I
probably knew half the people on campus.”
Back then, Don McBeth and Dewey Chase
were among his closest pals. They still are.
“We’ve been
friends since our Sigma Chi days,” Phil says proudly. “Forty
seven years of enduring friendship.”
Thomas '68 and Sally Savage
Tom Savage ’68 always has been grateful
to the University of Maine for giving him the opportunity to get
a good education and make lifelong friendships.
But it was hindsight that helped him
realize what a boon UMaine is to the Bangor area and the state
as a whole.
“It occurred to me years after I
graduated,” says Tom, a retired attorney. “I started going to
athletic events and saw all the people who graduated from here
and were doing well. I saw how important the University is to
the state and how it gives kids in Maine the chance to get an
education and compete in today’s world.”
Today, Tom and Sally, who live in Key
Largo and maintain a summer home in Searsport, are enthusiastic
supporters of the University’s athletic programs.
Black Bear sports “brings people on
campus and helps them appreciate UMaine,” Sally says. “It breaks
down barriers and makes better community relations.”
Tom says he has been impressed with the
coaches’ “concern for the student athletes as people.”
“It’s not just about wins and losses
for these coaches,” he says. “They genuinely care about the
students as individuals and they want the best for them. They
try to help them grow as people, not just athletes.”
For more information about joining the
Stillwater Society, please contact: Eric Rolfson, Associate Vice
President for Development,
eric.rolfson@umit.maine.edu or (207) 581-1198.
