Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva has received what officials said will be a transformative gift.
Former Board of Trustees Chair Thomas Melly and his wife Judith Hershey Melly have made a $70 million donation, the largest in the school’s history.
The President of Hobart and William Smith, Mark Gearan, said the funding will help secure an education for students who may have had difficulty in affording that kind of college experience.
“This kind of gift certainly kind of really positions us, I think, in these times in providing access, because that really is our highest priority of financial assistance to talented students so they can take advantage of really, what I believe is a first class education,” Gearan said.
Thomas Melly, the Board Chair Emeritus at Hobart and William Smith, died last December, but before that the Mellys, and college officials including Gearan, had a series of meetings to plan for the very large donation.
Gearan said one of the things this funding will help with is providing more financial aid for students, which he said was an important focus for Thomas Melly.
“His priorities were financial aid and access to Hobart and William Smith education, to our academic program, building out the importance of Liberal Arts and Sciences, innovation, making sure that we're have the kind of resources to innovate and respond to the century ahead,” Gearan said.
In a statement, Judith Melly said that she hopes the donation "will inspire others to expand their ideas of their own philanthropy."
Other priorities for the Mellys' gift include helping to spur innovation and creativity and establishing the Melly Institute for Business, Innovation and Leadership. That program is designed to integrate the values of a liberal arts and sciences education with the skills and opportunities that students need to be competitive when seeking career and graduate school opportunities.
