Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes at Dartmouth got a big financial boost for the second time this year with the announcement of a $1 million donation from Roger Klorese '77 and his partner, David Haney last week.
The gift will be used to establish the Roger B.A. Klorese '77 and David L. Haney (DePauw '88) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Program Fund.
According to a College press release, the fund "will be used to support educational, cultural and social programming for GLBT students; to provide education about GLBT concerns to the Dartmouth community; and to secure on a permanent, full-time basis an existing part-time administrative position to coordinate these efforts."
The fund represents the largest donation towards GLBT student affairs in the history of the College. Last February -- after more than a decade of refusing to allocate the donation -- Dartmouth accepted $250,000 for the improvement of conditions for GLBT students from a fund set up by Dr. Ralph Elias '32.
"The establishment of the Roger B.A. Klorese and David L. Haney Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Program Fund is a significant step forward in the history of the College," Dean of the College James Larimore said in the press release.
Larimore added that the donation will allow Pam Misener, the GLBT advisor for Advocacy and Programming, greater freedom in the planning of GLBT activities and in her effort to improve GLBT education on campus.
Dartmouth is not the only school to recently receive a large donation specifically targeted to GLBT interests. Earlier this month, the University of Pennsylvania announced a $2 million donation from a gay couple towards the construction of a new home for the school's GLBT Center.
While attending Dartmouth, Klorese participated in a number of student activities, including serving as the music director for WFRD student radio station and working as a staff member for The Dartmouth.
"For most students, college is a time when they have to make a way for themselves," Klorese said in the press release. "When I went to Dartmouth, it was the first time that I really got outside a very well-defined and close-knit small neighborhood and had to deal with people who in some ways were not like me."
"It was, in a lot of ways, a positive though challenging experience to deal with such a different world, especially since I was in only the second coed class at Dartmouth," he continued.
Klorese said he is pleased with the progress the College has made in accepting GLBT views on campus. He believes that the donation will enhance Dartmouth's ability to promote equality.
Klorese currently serves as the director of product marketing for VMware in Palo Alto, California. Klorese was involved with GLBT affairs during his time at Dartmouth, serving as founding secretary of Students for Social Alternatives, and he continues to maintain an involvement with the non-profit QueerNet project, which he established 10 years ago.
Haney is active in the musical arts, lending his vocal talents to the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. He is also a cellist with the Redwood Symphony in Redwood City, California.
College President James Wright will host a public ceremony and reception in honor of Klorese and Haney's gift Nov. 4.
