Nathaniel
Rochester Society
John and Mary Parke, NRS President's Circle
chairs, standing, with student artist Nichole Frenyea, at the
annual summer gala.
The Nathaniel Rochester
Society (NRS) saw its membership and attendance continue to
grow during the 1998-99 year and capped off a successful 12
months with a gala in July. At the event, the NRS presented
the 1999 Nathaniel Rochester Society award to Colby H. Chandler,
retired president, and chairman of the board and chief executive
officer of the Eastman Kodak Company. Each year, the society
bestows this honor on an outstanding member of the community
in recognition of his or her generous support of RIT. The award
was established in 1972 and permanently endowed by charter members
Marc and Kay Barbour.
A member of RIT's
Board of Trustees since 1974 and now chairman emeritus, Chandler
served as chairman from 1992 to 1994 and as vice chairman from
1987 to 1991. He was vice chairman of the board's Executive
Committee from 1978 until 1986, and served on a number of board
committees, including finance, endowment and stragetic planning.
A member of the NRS President's Circle and an active benefactor,
he has served on the awards, nominating and executive committees
of this organization of RIT friends and ambassadors.
The society ended
the fiscal year with 409 members, representing 23 states and
two foreign countries. Membership at the President's Circle
level ($1,000 or more) increased to 239. Attendance at NRS programs
continued to increase also, attracting more than 1,400 members
and guests in total for the year. In addition to the Summer
Gala, notable events included the President's Circle event at
the home of RIT trustee Dutch Summers and his wife, Jayne, and
Imagine the Image, featuring the College of Imaging Arts and
Sciences.
The following volunteers
will lead the society's committees for 1999-2000: Alan and Nancy
Cameros, NRS chairs; Bob and Kathy Wayland-Smith, NRS vice-chairs;
Jay and Lauren Judson, awards chairs; John and Mary Parke, President's
Circle chairs; Kevin, '79 and Nancy Gavagan, membership and
alumni outreach chairs; NRS scholar alumni Russ Schwartzbeck
'97, and Alexa Bordynski '97, alumni outreach co-chairs; Karl
'63 and Sally Brust, program chairs and Pete and Sally Merrill,
scholarship chairs.
The ninth annual
NRS Scholar Awards Ceremony for Outstanding Academic Excellence
will be held on Saturday, Oct. 9. This year the society is sponsoring
NRS merit awards for 203 outstanding juniors and seniors.
For more information
about the NRS, contact Marisa Psaila by phone, 716-475-4932,
or by e-mail, mxp9762@rit.edu.
