Standing, left to right: Chad Berry, interim vice president for Alumni and College Relations; Candis Arthur, associate vice president for Development Operations; Joanne Singh, director for Campaigns and Strategic Initiatives; Dorothy Morgan, executive director of Advancement Services;Sitting, left to right: Teresa Kash Davis, associate vice president for Major and Planned Gifts; Jackie Collier, associate vice president for Alumni Relations; and Kim Brown, associate vice president for Marketing and Communications.
Dear Berea Alumni and Friends,
Together with all of you, we are privileged to support students in every phase of this transformative journey they are experiencing here at Berea College. You not only help us complete tuition promise scholarships for every student, your gifts help bring renowned speakers to campus, give study abroad experiences and keep our campus beautiful. We could not do this work without each and every one of you.
Thank you.
As a tangible expression of our gratitude, we are pleased to share news of two wonderful initiatives.
As you read through this President’s Report on Philanthropy, linger a while on our new lifetime giving societies pages, which we established to commemorate the legacy of largesse to Berea College. Each society— recognizing gifts from $50,000 to $1 million—is named for historical figures who left a significant impression on Berea and beyond. The Julia Britton Hooks Society salutes the College’s second African American graduate (1874) and first African American faculty member. She went on to advocate for women’s suffrage, civil rights and education throughout Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The Loyal Jones Society honors the founding director of the College’s Appalachian Center and a writer whose work focuses on educating others about the resilient people, rich history and diverse culture of the Appalachian region.
The Matilda Fee Society, named for the wife of Berea College founder John G. Fee, both staunch abolitionists who partnered to establish the town of Berea in 1853 and Berea College in 1855. The Carter G. Woodson Society recalls the 1903 Berea graduate who was one of the first scholars of African American history. His research earned him the moniker “father of black history.” The College’s Center for Interracial Education bears his name.
Our fifth giving society is the John G. Fee Society, named for the abolitionist minister and visionary founder of Berea College who risked his life and his family for the cause of educating blacks and whites, men and women, together in the foothills of Appalachia. We are so pleased to introduce these lifetime giving societies to highlight the longevity of our supporters’ generosity.
And finally, we are pleased to recognize one of our most inspirational alumna – M. Elizabeth Culbreth ’64. A longtime attorney and Berea College trustee (Board Chair 2002 to 2008), Culbreth began giving to Berea College more than 50 years ago. Now, the society that carries her name recognizes the steadfast alumni and friends of Berea who have given for five or more consecutive years.
Beyond the lists, we are most excited each year to introduce you to fellow Bereans whose stories of philanthropy perhaps echo your own. No matter your story, we are grateful that it brings you back to Berea year after year.
Gratefully,
The Division of Alumni and College Relations
