Reception, dinner, fetes College’s donors

Pictured from left are: Susan Eckert Lynch ’62, Judith Ammerman ’60 and John Niblack P’98. Photo by Vincent Scarano

Their gifts have endowed professorships and scholarships, created CC’s academic centers and built some of the College’s landmark buildings.

Members of the Ad Astra Society, supporters whose lifetime giving has totaled $1 million or more, were honored by the College the evening of Friday, Oct. 7 with a reception and dinner.

Four members of the society — Susan Eckert Lynch ’62, Judith Ammerman ’60, and John and Heidi Niblack P’98 — were on hand for the event.

The Ad Astra Society, created in 1996, has 46 members. Membership was granted posthumously to the College’s earliest benefactors. The first was Morton Plant, the original chair of the Board of Trustees.

Pictured from left are: Susan Eckert Lynch ’62, John Niblack P’98, Heidi Niblack P’98, Charles Chu, professor emeritus of Chinese, and Qiang Ning, Chu-Niblack Associate Professor of Art History. Photo by Vincent Scarano

College lore has it that Plant pledged $1 million for the endowment at one of the board’s early meetings. He apparently wanted to get to a baseball game in New London (he owned the local team, the Planters) but was held up by an interminable debate about finances. The pledge resolved the discussion and Plant went off to his game.

In honor of the celebration, each member of the society is receiving a framed, limited edition print created by Charles Chu, professor emeritus of Chinese. The print shows the view from the Ad Astra Garden at the top of the College green.