The Dartmouth Class of 1964 formally announced last Wednesday a $10.1 million donation to fund the leadership development programs created through the ’64 Leadership Initiative Fund. The Fund began in June 2014 as a part of the class’s theme of “a tradition in leadership” for the class’s 50th year anniversary.
The ’64 Leadership Initiative Fund is designed to support two complementary programs, Dartmouth Peak Performance and the Dartmouth Learn to Lead program.
Dartmouth Peak Performance is an initiative that encourages new and existing services to build a culture of leadership for Dartmouth’s undergraduate athletes. The fund also supports the expansion of leadership programs beyond varsity athletes, which would include students involved in non-varsity sports and other extracurricular activities.
Trustee Emeritus Ronald Schram ’64, a leader in the fundraising effort, said in email that the fund has chosen to support leadership programs through the athletics department and the Rockefeller Center in particular because of the dedication and commitment the two have in fostering many of Dartmouth’s students’ leadership abilities.
By allowing the fund to be used beyond exclusively varsity athletes, Schram said he hopes they will be able to provide more students with the chance to take advantage of these initiatives.
In particular, he highlighted the efforts of athletic director Harry Sheehy, senior associate athletics director for peak performance Drew Galbraith and economics professor Andrew Samwick for their dedication to the fund’s efforts, calling them “champions” in developing leadership-oriented programs and hailing their passion for the program.
Galbraith praised the effects of the DP2 program, noting that he has seen student athletes benefiting both academically and athletically. Under the program, student athletes are granted access to tutors across sections, and the program offers leadership training imbedded in athletics and in learning experiences that take place outside of the classroom, Galbraith said.
Jack Connolly ’16, a member of the men’s lacrosse team, also praised the effects of DP2.
The leadership program was an incredible experience,” he said. “I have definitely benefited from DP2, and I think that it has helped me develop professional skills as well.”Connolly he believes that DP2 will continue to elevate the individuals who participate in the program in both academic and athletic endeavors, and that the program has helped his team as a whole grow as individuals and as a group.
The fund also supports the Dartmouth Learn to Lead program in launching leadership programs in the Rockefeller Center — such as Create Your Own Path program, which gives students the resources to make a strategic plan for their futures.
The fund will be used to support program initiatives like the Rockefeller Initiative in Design and Entrepreneurship that includes proposed new courses in social entrepreneurship and additional funds for mentoring and innovative student projects. The funds will also be used to expand the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows program that invests in the growth of promising undergraduate Dartmouth leaders through workshops, dinner discussions and team-building exercises.“We hope the donation will help the College better achieve its mission of educating students for a lifetime of responsible leadership,” Schram said.
Schram said the Class of 1964 hopes that the donation will provide a useful resource in allowing the College to educate students on the skills of responsible leadership that will last them a lifetime. He said that developing strong leadership skills is important in overcoming complex problems, and that an early exposure to developing those skills will allow students to have an impact in their work.
Harvey Tettlebaum ’64, the secretary for Class of 1964 council, highlighted the ability of the fund to help cultivate skills that will help students in their years after graduation.
“I think the feeling was that these programs wouldn’t only be important to them as undergraduates,” he said. “I think the main emphasis was the fund was that [students] could use these skills outside of college and that they would be equipped with skills that are exportable.”
In addition to this donation, the Class of 1964 has also donated $4.7 million to the College Fund. Most of the funds place a philanthropic emphasis on the development of responsible leadership.
