In Memoriam: Eugene Kalkin '50, H'98

Tireless Friend, Supporter, Trailblazer

The University of Vermont and the UVM Foundation mourn the loss of founder and friend Eugene Kalkin ’50, HON’98. For many years, Eugene and his late wife, Joan, stood as twin pillars of leadership and service at the university, touching the lives of generations of students through their unparalleled vision, volunteerism, and personal philanthropy.

“Eugene Kalkin’s groundbreaking leadership across four decades set the stage for unprecedented growth at UVM, both in our physical campus and in our engagement with alumni and donors,” said UVM President Suresh Garimella. “With the pioneering spirit that carried over from his professional career, he resolutely—but ever so congenially—helped drive UVM forward to realize the success and vitality that we enjoy today. He and Joan welcomed Lakshmi and me to UVM with great warmth from our very first day, and we will remember them fondly.”

Aptly called “the patron saint of the university,” Eugene served UVM at the highest level as a member of the UVM Board of Trustees from 1986 to 1992 and had roles on the boards of advisors for the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Grossman School of Business. He was the founding chair of the UVM Foundation Board of Directors and held leadership roles in each of the university’s comprehensive fundraising campaigns.

Eugene had a long and distinguished entrepreneurial career and was highly regarded as a trailblazer in the retail industry, most notably as the innovative founder of Linens ‘n Things. In 1975, he applied novel merchandising techniques to develop a chain of stores selling quality products at discount prices in a no-frills warehouse environment. When he sold the company in 1983, Linens ‘n Things had become one of the nation’s largest and most profitable specialty retailers of home textiles, housewares, and decorative home accessories.

In 1986, Eugene spearheaded the fundraising campaign to construct a new home for UVM’s growing School of Business Administration, now the Grossman School of Business. He contributed $1.3 million toward the effort, which he said was “a way for me to leave a lasting mark on the university.” Kalkin Hall was named in honor of this special commitment, the largest gift ever made to the school at that time.

In the intervening years, the Kalkins sustained their interest in UVM, supporting myriad initiatives across campus. They were major contributors to the Lattie Coor Endowment for the Humanities, the Arts and Sciences Complex, the Richard A. Dennis University Professorship, the H. Lawrence McCrorey Multicultural Library Collection and Gallery Fund, and the Catamount Recovery Fund. They consistently supported the visual arts at UVM and gave generously to the Fleming Museum, where their two endowed funds have enhanced the museum’s collection and supported world-class exhibitions.

The Eugene and Joan Kalkin Retailing Initiative at the Grossman School of Business provides opportunities for students’ academic and professional development in the area of retailing.

“Eugene was fond of the Latin phrase sui generis, meaning ‘one of a kind,’ and he truly was. Few people have done so much for UVM, and fewer still with such selflessness and kindness,” said Monica Delisa, president and CEO of the UVM Foundation. “In many respects, we all are following in his footsteps every day. In my tenure here, I had grown to look forward to every opportunity to see and speak with Eugene— his profound warmth and generosity of spirit was always on full display.”

Eugene earned a B.A. in psychology from UVM in 1950, and both Eugene and Joan received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the university in 1998. Eugene is the recipient of UVM’s Legacy of Leadership Award and the Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award. The UVM Foundation’s most prestigious award is named in honor of the Kalkins (the Eugene and Joan Kalkin Lifetime Distinguished Leadership Award), and Eugene and Joan were the inaugural recipients in 2018.

As a true role model in altruism, Eugene inspired countless others. His sincerest wish was for future generations to remember the importance and value of UVM in their own lives and to give back in service and support of their alma mater. In what were his final public remarks on campus, given at the second presentation of the Kalkin Distinguished Service Award in April 2022, Eugene closed with this message: “I would like to leave this audience of UVMers with a final thought. What you send out, comes back. What you sow, you reap. What you give, you get. What you see in others, exists in you. Remember, life is an echo; it always gets back to you, so give goodness. And I thank you.”