2 minute read
President David Wippman
from Better Together
DEAR NEIGHBORS,
Nearly 230 years ago, Clinton founder Moses Foote joined dozens of local residents in pledging land, materials, labor, and money to establish the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. The Academy was the idea of Reverend Samuel Kirkland, for whom our town is named, and it had the support of President George Washington and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Nineteen years later, in 1812, the Academy was rechartered as Hamilton College.
The histories of the Village, the Town, and the College are closely linked, and our successes are mutually dependent. Today, Hamilton has become one of the most highly regarded liberal arts colleges in the country, and Clinton has become one of America’s most charming and desirable small towns, with an outstanding school district, an active business community, and an attractive quality of life.
In 2001, two local residents established the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund to foster goodwill and communication among the College, the Town, and the Village, and to perpetuate the College’s ongoing support for the local community. Last year, the fund reached a milestone — $1 million in gifts and grants to aid the work of local nonprofits and public service agencies that serve our community (see pg. 7) — support that will continue growing over time.
These direct and indirect contributions are only part of Hamilton’scommitment to our neighbors. Our students, faculty, and staff regularlyvolunteer their time and expertise working with children in the Clintonschools, serving on local boards, visiting with seniors, and assisting withthe local food pantry, among other activities. We’re grateful for theseopportunities to give back to the community that helped launch the College.
Hamilton also makes contributions each year to support the services that helpkeep our community safe, attractive, and running smoothly. The MunicipalContributions Agreement (pg. 14), initiated in 2006, was recently extended forfive more years. We’re also committed to “shopping local,” whenever possible,when making purchases, identifying vendors, and hiring contractors, all ofwhich contribute to the College’s economic impact (pg. 18) in the region.
This newsletter captures some of the ways Hamilton partners with ourClinton neighbors and works to repay the investments Moses Foote and othercommunity leaders made in establishing what is today one of America’s oldestinstitutions of higher learning.
David Wippman President
