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Celebrating First in America


More than 300 donors, faculty members and students gathered on campus to toast, celebrate—and even dance to—the success of the First in America capital campaign. Held in the college’s Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, the program highlighted the achievement of the campaign's $150 million goal with everything from scholarship recipients’ heart-felt testimonials to a flash-mob dance and a confetti drop.
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  • "You have joined to achieve something that this college aspired to over a length of time," said President William G. Durden '71 during his remarks about the Benjamin Rush quotes that guided him throughout the campaign. "Dr. Rush knew that nothing was achieved without community, nothing was achieved without people coming together for something larger than themselves."
    Community Effort
  • Campaign co-chairs George and Jennifer Ward Reynolds '77 thanked donors for making First in America a success.
    Co-Chairs
  • Neil Weissman P'98, provost and dean of the college, spoke about how First in America has affected Dickinson's faculty. "What colleges really need to do is invest in great faculty," he said, "and that's what the First in America campaign has allowed us to do."
    Neil Weissman
  • Joyce Bylander, special assistant to the president for institutional and diversity initiatives, discussed the campaign's impact on the student body through scholarship gifts. "Your generosity made it possible for students in small towns and cities all over this country to follow their dream to a Dickinson education," she told donors.
    Gift of Opportunity
  • Kathryn McClellan '07 highlighted the power of a Dickinson education by sharing how her experience led her to a career in health care. "I would not be where I am today without Dickinson," said McClellan, who is in her third year at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "I'm so proud to be a Dickinsonian because I'm a member of a community that has been prepared not just to make a living, but to make a difference."
    Proud Dickinsonian
  • “Our founder Dr. Benjamin Rush said, ‘I am a stranger to what the world calls rest,’ and similarly we did not stop once during this campaign, and we should not stop now,” said President Durden during the campaign celebration. “This institution is on the move, and people know it.”
    No Rest
  • At the end of the program, students surprised the audience with a flash-mob dance to The Black Eyed Peas' "I Got a Feeling."
    Flash Mob
  • Before the students took the stage, President Durden shared a quote from Benjamin Rush about the importance of physical exercises such as dance. "He wanted Dickinson students to dance," Durden said, "and dance they do!"
    Dancing for Rush
  • The surprised audience cheers on the dancers.
    Surprise
  • The program ended with a confetti drop amid cheers and applause.
    Confetti Drop
  • The student dancers' celebration continued beneath the confetti.
    Celebration
  • Following the program, faculty, students and donors gathered for dinner and to toast the campaign's success in the Rector Science Complex atrium.
    Dinner at Rector
  • President Durden presented George and Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77 with a proclamation from the college recognizing the couple's efforts to “generate momentum” and create “transformative change” as campaign co-chairs.  
    Proclamation
  • William G. Durden '71, Elke Durden, Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77, George Reynolds and Amy Nauiokas ’94 toast the success of the capital campaign. 
    Toasting Success
"You have joined to achieve something that this college aspired to over a length of time," said President William G. Durden '71 during his remarks about the Benjamin Rush quotes that guided him throughout the campaign. "Dr. Rush knew that nothing was achieved without community, nothing was achieved without people coming together for something larger than themselves."Prev ImageNext Image

The First in America campaign inspired more than $151 million in gifts from alumni, parents and friends since August 2004. After surpassing the $100 million mark in 2007, the campaign reached its $150 million goal ahead of schedule despite facing the country’s deepest economic recession since the Great Depression. The campaign, which was the most ambitious in the college's history, has touched nearly every corner of campus, with results that include:

  • 70 new permanently endowed scholarships
  • 16 new permanently endowed faculty chairs
  • the construction of the Rector Science Complex's James and Stuart halls
  • the creation of the Center for Sustainability Education
  • more than $25 million in Annual Fund giving
  • and renovations to Biddle Field that added a FieldTurf playing surface, energy-efficient lighting to allow night games, and an eight-lane track.

Beyond recognizing the importance of these achievements, the campaign celebration highlighted the momentum that First in America has generated for the college.

“Most important, First in America has forever changed the way students, alumni, parents and friends support Dickinson,” said  Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77, First in America co-chair and chair of Dickinson’s board of trustees. “It’s clear that there is a new level of excitement and ownership among Dickinsonians. In addition to providing new facilities and resources, the campaign has fostered a new sense of pride and enthusiasm about what is now possible for Dickinson when we all come together to support our college."

Video Highlights

Highlights of the Program Speakers  


The Celebratory Flash-Mob Dance  


Highlights of the Program Videos