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Volume CXXXII, Number 14 |
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$1.2 million donated to scholarship fund
ANN SULLIVAN
STAFF WRITER
Although large contributions to Bowdoin College have historically been donated by men, the number of donations from women is increasing.
Previous gifts to the college, if given by women, had traditionally been from widows of alumni, but now the trend is shifting towards women who are giving "contributions in their own right instead of on their husband's behalf," says Kristen Farnham, Associate Director of Planned Giving.
Madelyn Dyer Conley is one of these women who help to challenge the pre-established pattern of giving. Conley, who passed away in the fall of 2001, generously donated $1.2 million to Bowdoin.
A graduate of the University of Maine-Orono, Conley became one of the first women in Maine to earn a degree in optometry and establish an independent practice in the state. Though she did not attend Bowdoin, her father, John Small Dyer M.D. '04, did. Her home and practice also brought her close to the campus. Both factors which helped her to "develop a relationship over time [with Bowdoin]" says Farnham.
Her contributing began in 1967 with the establishment of the Albert D. and Madelyn Dyer Scholarship Fund, a collaborative effort with her husband, in memory of her father. The recent gift of over one million dollars is being added to this fund which started with only minimal financing. The purpose of the fund is to provide Bowdoin students with scholarships, particularly those entering the medical field.
Farnham said, "most funds serve as contracts with the donors and the College as to how they would like to see their money used." Being in a family with a strong medical background, Conley thought it best to support students pursuing this field.
Aside from the obvious benefits of such a contribution, the gift has come at a needed time-as Bowdoin is currently struggling with a damaged economy. "The need for financial aid is increasing and [Conley's] generosity will help us reach the goal of meeting this demand," says Farnham.
Only part of Conley's contribution is reflected in the $1.2 million sum, as another contribution is to be donated in the coming months.
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