President Durden's Remarks

We have much to celebrate today, from the record-breaking support demonstrated by the senior class to the incredible participation rate of the faculty and staff. Our collective contributions give voice to our confidence in the future of our college.

Our contributions have helped the college reach another significant milestone as well. Throughout this year, we have been focusing on participation rather than dollars for the campus campaign. Every gift, large or small, was important to our overall goals. There is great power in the focused effort of an entire community. Not only did we reach the exceptional 81% participation rate, we also collectively committed a total of $838,673 to the Dickinson campaign. And these gifts, together with the contributions of trustees, alumni, foundations, and friends of the college, have moved Dickinson 's campaign total to the $100 million dollar mark!

This $100 million mark is a very significant milestone for Dickinson. It represents twice the total amount raised in the last Dickinson campaign—and we have gotten there in less than half the time! We think this bodes very well for our ambition to reach the $150M mark by the end of the campaign—an aspiration we would have considered out of reach only a few years ago. Dickinson's ability to secure resources at this level will be instrumental in our recognition as a leader among liberal arts colleges. This early success encourages us to be bold.

Please join me in a toast to our many accomplishments and our bright future.

Thank you all for everything you have done to make Dickinson College the strong and forward-looking institution that it is today. As members of the Dickinson College community, the future of the college is ours to shape. We will fulfill Dr. Rush's vision—one shared by Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, John Dickinson and James Madison. Together, we are making Dickinson College "First in America" for all the right reasons.