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The Barnard Campaign Concludes with $162.9 Million Raised - Most Successful in College’s History

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NEW YORK, N.Y -- The most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of Barnard College, The Barnard Campaign concluded onJune 30, 2000 with $162.9 million raised, far exceeding the College’s original goal of $100 million.

“The entire College community owes a debt of thanks to all those who helped to ensure that the Barnard vision remains as bold and as fresh as it was in its earliest days,” said President Judith Shapiro. “Everyone who has a stake in the continuation of Barnard’s mission as a leader in women’s education can rejoice in the fact that we are finally making real progress in our efforts to build a stronger fiscal foundation for the College.”

Among the most significant gifts to the Campaign were an $8.7 million bequest from Barnard alumna Carolyn Agger ’31 to establish a scholarship fund for young women interested in law; a $5 million gift from the Sulzberger family to support the creation of Barnard’s largest residence hall; a $2.5 million gift from Ingeborg and Ira Rennert, parents of Barnard alumnae Tamara Rennert ’93 and Yonina Rennert Davidson ’95, to establish a professorship in Judaic studies and a speakers’ forum for issues relating to women and Judaism; and a $2 million gift from Dr. Samuel J. and Ethel Stone LeFrak ’41 to restore the lobby and gymnasium in Barnard Hall and endow a scholarship fund. A series of gifts totalling $2 million from Ida Frances Mulhall, her daughter Edith Mulhall Achilles ’14, and her granddaughter Frances Mulhall Achilles ’45 established a scholarship fund for international students and an alumnae fellowship fund, and also provided support for a number of academic programs.

During The Barnard Campaign the College’s endowment more than tripled; Annual Fund totals grew from $1.7 million to $4 million; alumnae participation in the Annual Fund rose from 28% to 38.3%; and annual support from corporate, foundation, and government sources grew from $1.3 million to $4.3 million. Gifts from supporters made possible the endowment of 145 new scholarship funds; the introduction of 26 internship, fellowship, and other student support funds; the creation of six professorships and 27 faculty support funds; and the allocation of $20.4 million to much-needed facilities renovations and information technology improvements, including the creation of six classrooms specially designed to incorporate the use of advanced learning technologies.

Perhaps most important for the continued well-being of the College, The Barnard Campaign tapped into the substantial base of support that exists for Barnard and established a new standard of commitment and participation among the College’s alumnae, parents, friends, and corporate, foundation, and government sponsors.

The Campaign was launched in 1990 to strengthen the fiscal and academic foundations of the College and preserve its legacy for future generations of women. Under the leadership of former President Ellen Futter and the then board chair and national Campaign chair Helene Kaplan, the Campaign’s first-phase goal of $60 million was reached six months ahead of schedule in 1993. The arrival of President Judith Shapiro in 1994 created the opportunity for a reassessment of Campaign objectives and College needs, which led to a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees in 1996 to raise the Campaign goal to $125 million. In 1998, Trustee Virginia B. Wright ’51 took the helm as national chair and brought the Campaign to its unprecedented final tally of $162.9 million.

Contact: Penny Van Amburg, Director of Communications, Office of Development, 212-854-2001

An independent college for women in New York City affiliated with Columbia University