T h e
Fall 2014
millbrook receives
$5 million gift Math and Science Center to be named for Fred Hamilton ’45
C a mp a i g n
GOAL
$65 million RAISED TO DATE
$40 million
Campaign on Track Buoyed by the receipt of several new major gifts and a year-end surge in annual giving, the campaign neared the $40 million mark this summer and is staying on track to reach its goal of $65 million in three more years.
At the fall meeting of Millbrook’s Board of Trustees, William L. Menard ’78, chairman, announced the receipt of a $5 million gift from Frederic C. Hamilton ’45, a loyal and long-time Millbrook benefactor. In recognition of his generosity, the board voted to name the Math and Science Center in his honor. The gift is one of the largest in Millbrook’s 84-year history. “Fred’s gift comes at a time when, through the capital campaign, we are working to advance the school on all fronts. The majority of his commitment will be placed in our growing endowment and thus help us meet a major objective in the campaign. Such contributions are about providing for the future. They come from individuals who have the vision to see the long-term impact of their support. Fred is such a man. We are truly thankful for this exceptionally generous contribution,” Menard said. Fred has supported the school for many years. In addition to making regular annual gifts, in 1987 he established the Frederic C. Hamilton Endowed Chair in English demonstrating his long-term interest in building endowment. Headmaster Drew Casertano has known Fred Hamilton for all of the 25 years he has served as headmaster. According to Casertano, “All schools have moments—opportunities to take a large step forward, a chance to move ahead at a faster pace than imagined. This is that time for Millbrook. Indeed, I think everyone is pleased with the progress that we have made, but now is the time to use that advancement as a foundation for the next large step. Now we have the opportunity to further differentiate ourselves from others in the small boarding school world. The key is endowment. Fred’s gift to this major priority gives us a boost we had not imagined. We thank him, and we know that future generations of Millbrook alumni will thank him as well.” The Hamilton Math and Science Center is expected to be formally dedicated this fall. The dedication will allow Millbrook to recognize an alumnus who has done so much over the years.
According to Caroline Wamsler ’87, who serves as co-chair of the campaign along with Peter Chapman P ’11, ’12, “We are pleased with the campaign’s progress and recognize that the exceptional generosity of the board and Drew’s energy and leadership have made the difference. The last half of an undertaking like this will challenge us and all who will be thinking about their commitment to the drive. We welcome the challenge because we know what the campaign will do to continue to keep Millbrook on the ascending track we have seen over the last 20 years.” When talking with trustees, parents, and alumni, Peter Chapman reports that he often hears how excited people are about the significant progress being made. Since the drive opened, Millbrook completely renovated the Barn, constructed a major new dormitory, added squash courts, a turf field, and a softball complex, and completed a number of important campus improvements that, taken together, significantly enhance the appearance of the school and its unmatched setting. In addition to making long-needed investments in the plant and equipment, Millbrook has also received a number of significant gifts to increase its endowment. When the campaign opened in 2012 the endowment stood at $23 million. Today its value stands at $32 million because of giving and prudent management. The impact of the increased income is already being felt because it allows increases in scholarship funds and in faculty support, and so the campaign has set a goal of $50 million in endowment funds. The school’s strategic plan includes a goal of $100,000 endowment-per-student, and with the student body growing to just over 300, this will become an important objective to meet.
Interview with
even more important position in the boarding school world in the future. I’ve said to Drew, “What’s your tenure?” And he’s said that he’s there for a long pull. And if Drew’s going to stay, I thought then I’ll do this.
Fred C. Hamilton ’45 Conducted by Bob Anthony ’65 July 21, 2014 Drew and I talked about the physical plant and about the need for a new dormitory and new dining hall planned in future. But what appealed to me was to demonstrate my support by naming the Math & Science Center, which is more my background. When we talked about what I might be able to give, I said, “Why don’t I just go ahead and do it.” Bob: Looking back what comes to mind?
Bob:Fred, what motivated you to make this major gift to Millbrook? Fred: The motivation is really Drew. He came out and told me about the school. I critiqued the way Millbrook had handled its endowment, and I said I wouldn’t give if they couldn’t do a better job with this important asset. So he went to the board, and they put it into shape. This was good. We’ve had ongoing discussions since then. I’m very high on him. When little Crawford, my grandson, was there through 2005, we got to know Drew a bit more. Millbrook was good when I went there, but not nearly in the category that it’s in today. I’m sure there are many others that are also responsible, but Drew has been the key. Bob: What are your impressions of Millbrook’s future direction? Fred: Very good. They want to build the school and make it a first class operation. Today Millbrook has a reasonable endowment—not what they need, but it is certainly better than it was. More would make a big difference.
Fred: Millbrook was good when I attended. We did everything—we had to. That was the way Pulling ran it. I thought it was good taking a kid who didn’t know any better and getting him to do so much himself. So the British school was a good idea. I should say my father was keenly involved. He gave Millbrook it’s first automobile. He was a mechanic. Bob: You did not finish at Millbrook. Can you tell us about that? Fred: I think Ed Pulling was a little precipitous when he kicked me out; however, when you’re on probation and you go into town and run into the headmaster at the movie theater, it’s pretty goddamn stupid. I went on to Lawrenceville, but I didn’t think about it and have never worried about it since. It’s not a thing I hold against Ed Pulling or the school—I was wrong, and you pay for it. Bob: You’ve always talked about the need for strong leadership—that is, once you have it, you need to keep it. Fred: Yes, you don’t want to lose it. Pulling started the school and did a great job. As I have said, I know Millbrook has come a long way, and I think the school will achieve an
The Frederic C. Hamilton Endowed Chair in English Endowed in 1987 and currently valued at over $1.7 million
Held by Dean of Faculty Katherine H. Havard As our dean of faculty, Kathy Havard is responsible not only for managing and hiring our 60+ members of the teaching faculty, she also coordinates other academic programs with our academic deans and helps facilitate
Bob: You supported a wide number of institutions following Millbrook’s motto Non Sibi Sed Cunctis, not for oneself but for all. Can you tell us what motivated you to do so much for so many? Fred: I think it’s fairly simple. I’ve been reasonably successful—very lucky the way things have evolved in my career. I’ve had good fortune, good health, and a lot of very fine friends. I’ve worked hard. But it’s especially important to give back to this great country and this great system. Whatever you can do, whenever you can. I have learned that when you move through life you are helped by many good people. You’ve just got to give back—it’s very important. And someone that takes it and sits there and doesn’t give anything back to the system, I just don’t admire them at all. You have to remember, it’s fun to give. It’s fun to see things created, and good things that are going to be. Bob: To what extent do you believe the younger generation will follow the kind of example you set? Fred: It is hard to tell. Some are not particularly interested. They haven’t done something on their own. You have to pass through a period and develop real selfconfidence to move ahead. This is not necessarily the case with a lot of young people today. I’m not taking anything away from them—I’m just suggesting that they don’t seem as interested right now. You’ve got to learn it’s important to give back. You’ve got to think about other people. You’ve got to give other people a chance, and giving is maybe the best way to do it.
our traditional and ongoing forums program. Kathy arrived at Millbrook in 1985, married colleague Todd Feitelson in 1991, and celebrated son Jonah’s graduation in 2011 and daughter Emma’s graduation in 2013. Having her B.A. and M.A. from Middlebury College, Kathy started out as an English teacher before adding English department chair (19932001), cross country coach, and dean of faculty (2001 - current) to her resume. Kathy is also a member and leader in NYSAIS (New York State Association of Independent Schools), and she has led their Beginning Teachers Institute every fall over the past 10 years and contributes regularly to NYSAIS’s Think Tank on issues of professional development in independent schools. Although her duties as dean keep her very busy as she oversees the academics at Millbrook as well as the professional needs of all faculty members, she wouldn’t give up teaching for anything.
Edward Pulling Community Service Award Winner Mr. Casertano was honored to present Frederic C. Hamilton, class of 1945, with the Edward Pulling Community Service Award on June 12, 2010. The award was established in 1981 as a way to recognize alumni who, in a distinctive way, have extended the principles and the spirit of community service in their lives beyond Millbrook. “One of America’s pioneers in business, Fred is a community leader who has had a major and defining influence on numerous institutions and organizations around the United States.” His achievements and contributions are extensive, and he “embodies the principle upon which Millbrook School was founded: service to others.” As one of America’s pioneers in business, Fred is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of Hamilton Oil Corporation in Denver, CO. Today, as head of The Hamilton Companies, Fred continues to invest privately in a broad range of areas. Fred is a community leader who has had a major and defining influence on numerous institutions and organizations around the United States. Possessing the rare combination of pragmatism and vision, Fred dedicates his time, talent, and personal resources to causes that advance a community’s or a nation’s well being. He is motivated by the desire to make a difference; he has certainly done that and then some. Fred is a member of the Trustees Council of the National Gallery of Art, an alumnus of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Directors, a member of the Board of the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, a trustee of Graland Country Day School in Denver, and president of the Graland Country Day School Foundation Board. Fred has established an endowed chair in endocrinology research at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and he has established three endowed chairs at New York Presbyterian Cornell Hospital. He has also served as a director on numerous corporate boards around the country and around the world. Fred may be proudest of his leadership of the Denver Art Museum. He has every reason to feel that way. He has served on the Board since 1977 and as chairman since 1994, and his passion for art coupled with his astute business skills have contributed to the growth and sustainability of the museum over the past several decades.
The Millbrook Campaign Student Life Master Plan for construction & renovation Projects Needed Barn Renovation: A gold level LEED certified student center
$4,000,000
Squash Center Expansion
$1,700,000
New Dormitory: a 44-bed facilty for girls, with four beautiful faculty homes
$8,400,000
Health & Wellness Center
$400,000
Dorm Renovations
$500,000
Dining Hall: state of the art 400-seat facility for a student body of 300 and faculty & staff
$8,000,000
New Maintenance Facilities
$1,600,000
Main Street Millbrook: renovations to Prum, passages to the new dining hall
$1,700,000
Zoo Improvements, including renovation of the Mill
$600,000
Flagler Chapel Improvements
$500,000
New Alumni/Development Center
$1,100,000
Campus Improvements: Schoolhouse upgrades, lighting, landscaping, safety and security
$1,500,000
30,000,000
Total
For Endowment Faculty support: professional development and salaries and benefits
$10,000,000
Financial Aid
$10,000,000
Program Initiatives & Innovation
$3,000,000
Campus Facilities & Maintenance
$2,000,000
25,000,000
Total
Annual Giving
10,000,000
TOTAL TO BE RAISED
65,000,000
Growing The Endowment
$10 $5
$12,619,084
$15
$7,264,712
$20
$6,725,153
In Millions
$25
$15,517,023
$30
1998, the endowment hits double digits
2002, largest endowment bequest of $4,492,902 is made by John
Durand ’41
$18,506,390
$35
Excellent management of the endowment contributes to a 22% increase from 2010-2011
$32,027,993
Frederic C. Hamilton ’45 –
2013, the endowment reaches $25 M
$0
’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14
PROFILE:
Friends of Millbrook School Nearby neighbors and long time Millbrook residents Jennifer Perkins Speers and her mother, Nancy Perkins, have been great friends and very generous supporters of Millbrook School over the past eight years.
A Room With A View The first dormitory built just for girls at Millbrook School opened its doors for students on September 2, as dorm leaders and peer counselors arrived for training sessions before the start of school. By the time the new students arrived at West Hall on Sunday, September 7th, the dorm interior was alive with activity. And while the girls found that the rooms and common areas were simply divine, they discovered that the view from their windows was equally beautiful. Outside, a sprawling sitting area and lawn were taking their final shape, as our landscape architects worked to perfect this new outdoor facility, an amphitheater, designed, as with all new building on campus, to be expansive yet intimate, with purpose and an aesthetic that blends with the surroundings. The amphitheater, built into a sunny west-facing slope and looking on to the large lawn in front of the new girls’ dormitory, is designed to be a central space for students on campus—a place for everyday play, studying, relaxing, gathering, and perhaps a performance. The amphitheater will also be an important outdoor classroom and event space for the entire campus: the walls can seat approximately 204 people. With rows of chairs set between the walls, the space can accommodate a total of about 500 people. The walls are veneered in brick with bluestone capstones to match the character of landscape features that define other gathering areas on campus. Small native flowering trees planted on the grass terraces between the walls will provide dappled shade and seasonal interest to the space, while helping to blend the walls into the landscape›s informal character. Eventually a path running up through the amphitheater will connect to the north side of Flagler Quad, and in this way the new dorm and amphitheater will act as an anchor to the west side of campus. Using the outdoors as a classroom is integral to a Millbrook education, and this amphitheater will become another tremendous resource for our faculty and students year-round.
Nancy, a teacher herself for over 30 years, was an admirer and friend of Frank Trevor, long-time biology teacher and founder of the Trevor Zoo at Millbrook. Jennifer, a product of Dutchess Day School and Miss Hall’s School, believes not only in giving children the opportunity to experience boarding school but realizes and appreciates the impact a school has on the local community.
Thus, through the family’s Walbridge Fund the Perkins family have contributed to the renovation of the zoo parking lot, pathway through the woods, and the bridge that is the entrance to the school. These projects appealed to Nancy because they enabled the school to get the adults and children off of School Road and safely carry them from the new green parking lot to the zoo. Jennifer also took an interest in the Landscape Masterplan conceived in order to plan and enhance areas on campus to better facilitate an outstanding education and improved access to all areas of campus. In addition to supporting these major improvements and enhancements to campus at the entrance and at the zoo, they have given a $2 million unrestricted gift to the capital campaign, which has given a terrific boost towards reaching our $65 million goal. The Perkins family owns Walbridge Farm, a property approximately 6 miles from the school on Route 343 in Millbrook. The farm raises black angus cattle on 700 acres and has been in operation since the early 1950’s.
Whats Next May 2015
Summer 2014
Construction of new dining hall and parts of Main Street Millbrook begin
Renovations in 3 dorms & permanent relocation of the health center
September 2014
New dormitory for 44 boarding girls open for the start school
October 2014
New maintenance facilities – phase I
September 2016 New dining hall grand opening
March 2016
New maintenance facilities – phase II
March 2017 New alumni/ development center