Reunions are traditionally the time when people reflect on how their Rutgers experience impacted who they are today. Rutgers shaped my life more than I ever would have thought. It instilled in me a lifelong love of learning and scholarly inquisitiveness (our beloved class adoptee, Professor Richard McCormick, played a large part in that), and an appreciation of art and culture. And, to my surprise, my experiences as writer and sports editor of The Targum helped me professionally over and over again, even today.

Like me, I'm sure your Rutgers experience and memories have special meaning to you. This is one of the reasons that generations of classes have made it a tradition to "give back" in honor of their reunion. As the Reunion Fundraising Chair, I ask you to consider joining me today so the Class of 1962 can continue this longstanding and meaningful Rutgers tradition.

Last year, our classmates gave nearly $160,000 to the University. This year, in celebration of our 45th, our class is working to raise $225,000. This is not an easy goal to reach, but I know that we can achieve it if each of us does our own part, which in turn will demonstrate our class' commitment to Rutgers and our appreciation for all we received.

It's important to let you know that gifts to all areas of the University will count towards our reunion campaign goal. However, designating all or a portion of your gift to our Class Fund will allow us, as a class, to make a special gift to the University. For example, last year the Class of 1956 funded the renovation of the gates on the Old Queen's campus while the Class of 1966 established its own scholarship fund.

And, as we get to an age at which we consider our legacy to future generations, I hope that you might think of including Rutgers in your estate plan in some shape or form. In addition to the obvious possibility of including a bequest to Rutgers in your will, there are numerous other gift planning techniques that will enable you to build a legacy at Rutgers while meeting personal financial goals at the same time. I am sure that the Planned Giving Office will be happy to answer any questions you might have and also be willing to provide you with a personalized computer analysis of how one or more types of planned gifts can provide significant benefits to both Rutgers and your family.

You may have heard that Rutgers has endured a $66 million cut in state funding, resulting in the largest budget shortfall in history. While many cost saving measures have been implemented, tuition increases, layoffs, cancelled courses and a reduction in services has been a necessity. In turn, these cuts have threatened the accessibility and quality of a Rutgers education. This is why it is more important than ever that we come together as a class to preserve a Rutgers education for those following in our footsteps.

With this in mind, I ask you to consider joining me with a special reunion pledge to the area at Rutgers that is most important to you. If you happen to work for a matching gift company, those funds will also count towards your reunion gift as well as our campaign.

Your generous support, at whatever level you choose, is greatly appreciated and will bring our class one step closer towards reaching its campaign goal.

Thank you in advance for joining me and your classmates in making this a successful campaign as well as an unforgettable reunion.

Sincerely,

Dr. Roger E. Wyman '62
Class Agent

 

 

Back to Home Page