Hobart and William Smith receives $70 million gift

GENEVA — Hobart and William Smith (HWS) ended 2024 by receiving the largest gift in the college’s history to the tune of $70 million from Trustee Chair Emeritus L. Thomas Melly (Class of 1952), and his wife, Judith Hershey Melly. “It’s a wonderful gift and a phenomenal act of philanthropy and generosity that will really benefit generations of HWS students,” President Mark D. Gearan tells CNYBJ in an interview. The gift was finalized last fall in meetings between the Mellys, Gearan, and VP and Senior Philanthropic Advisor Bob O’Connor. Thomas Melly passed away in late December, but Gearan says the college is committed to fulfilling Melly’s vision with the funding, which will support the core priorities of the college’s “Further Together: The Campaign for Our Third Century.” The biggest portion of the funding will go toward financial aid, Gearan says, because Melly believed that education should be accessible. HWS plans to create an endowed fund that will provide up to 100 scholarships of $10,000 each year. Along with the belief that education should be accessible, Melly was a supporter of innovation in education. HWS will use a portion the funding to create the Melly Strategic Innovation Fund, which will allow leadership to address immediate needs and drive initiatives that enhance campus culture, professional development, and operational excellence. The final key initiative the college will use the funding for aligns with expanded academic and co-curricular programs to integrate the values of a liberal arts and sciences education with the skills needed in the working world. One element of that will be establishing the Melly Institute for Business, Innovation, and Leadership. HWS has seen steadily growing interest in business management and entrepreneurship, so it just makes sense to establish a center that supports those interests, Gearan says. There is no set timeline for the launch of any of the initiatives, he adds, as the college takes time to make sure all of them are implemented thoughtfully. For the business center, there is a general framework for things, but HWS is taking the time to determine how to build it out in a way that best serves students and integrates well into the existing campus culture, Gearan says. “We’re anxious to get going to serve our students,” he adds. The gift comes at a time when many private institutions have faced financial difficulties, with some — such as The College of St. Rose in Albany, Wells College in Aurora, Cazenovia College — closing their doors in recent years. Receiving the gift is a privilege, Gearan says. “It allows us to go into this next chapter with confidence.” Even more rare is receiving such a gift with flexibility in how it is utilized. “[Melly] encouraged us to think big, so that’s what we’ll be doing,” Gearan says. Melly graduated from HWS in 1952 with a degree in economics. He was first appointed to the college’s board of trustees in 1981 and led numerous committees and capital campaigns. He also served as board chair for a decade. His contributions earned him the recognition as the college’s only trustee chair emeritus. Melly’s other philanthropic efforts include funding the Melly Academic Center, the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts, and scholarships. The college awarded him the Alumni Citation, an honorary degree, and the Hobart Medal of Excellence. Originally founded as two schools — Hobart for men and William Smith for women — Hobart and William Smith today serves 1,798 undergraduate students with 166 full-time faculty.