125th Anniversary
From Wagnerpedia
[edit] Happy Birthday Wagner
2008 is the 125th anniversary of the founding of Wagner College. The history of Wagner began in 1883 with the founding of the Lutheran Proseminary of Rochester, N.Y. With six students, the school began its mission of training future Lutheran ministers. Wagner received the name it bears today shortly after its founding. When businessman John G. Wagner and his wife gave the school $12,000 to buy its first permanent facility, the board of directors voted to change the school's name as a memorial to the Wagners' son, George Wagner, who had died in 1873 at the age of 19, his own dream of becoming a minister unrealized.
Class of 1958 -- 50th Anniversary Year
[1]
August 15, 2007
Dear Classmates:
In less than a year, it will be time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our graduation from Wagner. Our time to celebrate will be during the alumni reunion weekend – June 6 - 8, 2008.
As the 50 Year Class, we will be recognized and honored at a luncheon on Saturday, June 7. The activities for reunion weekends are outstanding and enjoyed by all. If you haven’t already done it, put the dates on your calendar today.
We were the last and now we can be the first!
We were the last class to graduate from Wagner Memorial Lutheran College before the name was changed to Wagner College. We can now be the first class to give an endowed scholarship as our Class Gift.
An endowed scholarship is established with contributions of $100,000 or more. Approximately 5.5% of the balance, representing the investment income, is then used each year to provide a scholarship to a student selected by the college. In this way, the principal is maintained and the annual scholarship can be paid many years into the future.
What did your experience at Wagner add to your life since you graduated? An endowed scholarship will help future students receive the education that Wagner offers and prepare them for life after college.
$100,000 may sound like a large amount for our class to raise; however, two of our classmates have already committed to contributing $35,000. This means that we would only need an average contribution of about $450 from each of the other members of our class to reach the $100,000 goal.
We urge you to give what you can toward this class gift. Contributions should be made payable to Wagner College and noted that they are for the “Class of ’58 Scholarship Fund.” They should be sent to the Office of Institutional Advancement, One Campus Road, Staten Island, NY 10301. For more information, see the attached “Questions and Answers About The Class Gift.”
Let’s make our class gift one that will be meaningful to Wagner College and its students for years to come!
Sincerely,
(NAMES/SIGNATURES OF REUNION COMMITTEE MEMBERS)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE CLASS GIFT
Why was an endowed scholarship chosen as our class gift?
While the class gift could have been used for some item for the college, it was felt that the scholarship would be more permanent and would help more people.
When can contributions be made?
Contributions can be made at any time, before or after our 50th anniversary. Preferably they will be made before June, 2008, so that they can be included when the class gift is presented to Wagner during reunion weekend.
Does my entire contribution have to be made at one time?
No, your contribution may be made over several payments if that is better for you. For example, you might want to split your contribution between the 2007 and 2008 tax years.
Do contributions have to be made by check?
While checks are the most common form of donation, other forms are also accepted and can be advantageous to the donor.
Gifts of marketable securities are easy to transfer and may provide certain tax advantages. If you are 70 - or older, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows you to exclude from gross income up to $100,000 of distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA. Funds must be transferred by your IRA plan administrator directly to Wagner College. Please note that this is only effective until December 31, 2007.
If you would like to use either of the other forms of payment, you should consult with your financial advisor, accountant or attorney.
Can corporate matching gifts be applied to the scholarship fund?
Yes. If you are a retiree or employee of a corporation that matches gifts to colleges, your contribution to Wagner for the Class of ‘58 Scholarship Fund will probably be eligible for a matching gift. Please obtain the appropriate form from your company and send to Wagner along with your gift.
Will my contribution to the scholarship fund be considered a contribution to the Wagner College Annual Fund?
No, it will not be considered a contribution to the Annual Fund: however, it will be recognized as a contribution to Wagner College and acknowledged in listings of individual and class giving. Contributions to the scholarship will also be considered in determining eligibility for the various levels of Gift and Inner Circle societies.
Other questions about making contribution to Wagner and the Class of ’58 Scholarship Fund?
Please contact Frank Young in the Wagner Office of Institutional Advancement at 718-420-4494 or frank.young@wagner.edu.
