Dear Sewanee Family,
Fall is always a glorious season on the Mountain, and Sewanee feels especially festive at the moment. Last week’s installation of Robert Pearigen, C’76, P’14, P’17, as the University’s 18th vice-chancellor brought Sewanee alumni, families, and friends from across the country to our campus. If you were able to attend the ceremony and associated events, you know that the mood was joyful and energetic. The Bentley Bells in Breslin Tower sounded even more melodious than usual!
Not long ago, Sewanee was buzzing with the excitement of Fall Convocation, where Bishop Gene Robinson, C'69, gave a powerful address and received an honorary degree, along with poet Natasha Trethewey and architect Malcolm Holzman. Recently, the School of Theology also held its 2023 Annual Lectures and Homecoming, which reunited generations of our seminary alumni. At every turn, it has been a delight to see the loyalty and scope of the Sewanee community.
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In University Relations, we now turn to preparing for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. If you’re a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, I hope you’ve marked your calendar for Nov. 2-5. We’re looking forward to inducting the Class of 1973 into Sewanee’s Exornati Society, and I am grateful to C’73 alumni who have contributed to the class’s reunion project. Many thanks, also, to other alumni from years ending in 3 and 8 who have made reunion gifts. Our current and future students benefit immeasurably from your generosity.
It's a pleasure to introduce you to the Sewanee donors we’ve highlighted in this issue of Philanthropy and Engagement. While certain themes carry across their stories, their interactions with the Mountain are unique. If you'd like to provide feedback about our newsletter, you can reach me at dsvaughn@sewanee.edu.
With appreciation for the many ways you strengthen our community,
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Vice President for University Relations |
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Dr. Julius, C'72, and Kathy Mullins Give to Promote Scientific Research
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The rigorous demands of Sewanee’s pre-med curriculum kept Dr. Julius Mullins Jr., C’72, out of trouble during his time on campus—for the most part. When he wasn’t hitchhiking to a hat factory or secretly calling his then-girlfriend Kathy on the AT&T phone card that his parents gave him, he stayed glued to his studies. Mullins credits his Sewanee biology professors for their commitment to helping students thrive. One faculty member who made a strong impression was William Kenan Professor of Biology Harry C. Yeatman, who passed away in 2013. To honor Yeatman and support student scientists, the Mullinses established the Yeatman Biology Research Internship Fund in 2000. Recently, they also provided significant funding for the renovation of the University’s Woods Laboratories.
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Dr. Julius, C'72, and Kathy Mullins
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| Philanthropy in Action
Sewanee Alumni and Friends Support the University Through Impactful Gifts
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“As a student with varied interests, Sewanee helped me see that it was possible to explore many parts of my identity in my professional life."
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Sewanee Fund
Payroll Deduction
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Penny Elkins Cowan, P'09, P'12, Director of Collections Management
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"Over the years, our family has received a lot of benefits from the University, and that's also a reason we feel compelled to give back—because Sewanee has been such a supportive place to work all these years."
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School of Theology
One Percent Fund
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The Rev. Ann Benton Fraser, T'07
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“As a seminarian, I was prepared for stewarding the Episcopal faith in a way that still feels relevant, even as the way the church is expressed in the world is changing."
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Moores' Bequest Recognizes Sewanee's Episcopal Roots
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Through the years, donors with strong ties to the Episcopal faith have been devoted benefactors for Sewanee’s undergraduates and seminarians. Recently, the University received a generous bequest from the estate of Cornell W. Moore, whose late husband, the Rev. William S. Moore Jr., was a longtime priest in the Diocese of Lexington. The Moores designated their support as an endowed scholarship, which will enrich Sewanee by enabling the enrollment of gifted students from all backgrounds.
As the Moores’ niece, Carol Moore, explains, her aunt and uncle were not Sewanee graduates, but they valued the University’s Episcopal heritage. They also appreciated the serenity of the Domain. “They really loved the Sewanee area,” Carol says. “They were originally from northern Kentucky but moved to Sewanee after my uncle retired.” Director of Gift and Estate Planning Allison Cardwell says donors like the Moores represent Sewanee’s core values: “When I think of Psalm 133:1 and Sewanee’s commitment to dwelling together in unity, I feel gratitude for past community members like the Moores, whose gifts will strengthen our campus for years to come.”
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Cornell W. and the Rev. William S. Moore Jr.
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Carolyn and Bill Shiverick, P'23, Spotlight Sewanee's Music Scene
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Carolyn and Bill Shiverick, P'23, knew Sewanee would be a perfect fit for their daughter, Gray. "Everyone we ever talked to who went to Sewanee absolutely loved it," Bill says. As they anticipated, Gray excelled on campus, taking part in the University Choir, volleyball, Sewanee theatre, and Theta Pi, among other co-curriculars. The Shivericks only noticed one gap in Gray's Sewanee experience: There was no designated place where talented musicians, like their daughter, could record and practice. Working with the Office of University Relations, the Shivericks identified space in Guerry Hall that could be used as a recording studio and provided funding for the studio's creation.
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Carolyn and Bill Shiverick, P'23, with Gray at Sewanee's Festival Service of Lessons and Carols
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Remembering Jim Sutton, C'67, Generous Planned Giving Benefactor |
James A. "Jim" Sutton, C’67, appreciated a wide range of large and small pleasures: a good cup of coffee, a bike ride around his neighborhood in upstate New York, his annual walk from Bronxville to Yankee Stadium on Opening Day, performing at The Amateur Comedy Club in Manhattan, and joining his wife, Katherine, in volunteer activities for the benefit of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation, among other things. Sutton, who passed away in September, also enjoyed Sewanee—and over multiple decades, he and Katherine provided substantial gifts to the University.
The Suttons primarily gave through charitable gift annuities, which enable donors to receive regular, fixed payouts for their lifetimes. After all payouts have been made, the University receives the remainder amount. Speaking with Director of Gift and Estate Planning Allison Cardwell in 2014, Jim said, “I think of annuities as simply shifting assets from one place to another—I never really lose them.”
In an obituary for Sutton, his longtime friend Dr. Joe Kicklighter, C’67, wrote, “Jim had Sewanee roots through his maternal line from North Carolina and was delighted to be admitted and matriculate.” Kicklighter notes that Sutton was a history major, a “proud resident of Tuckaway Inn,” and a member of the Sewanee Air Force division. Sutton served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for many years and had a long and successful career in banking. Kicklighter shares, "Jim was a devoted alumnus and loved the institution passionately throughout his adult life."
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| James A. "Jim" Sutton, C'67
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