Mystery donor aids Phillips Exeter Academy
The recent $25 million donation to Phillips Exeter Academy by a benefactor who desires no credit is one of the largest of its kind ever bestowed upon an independent school, experts say.
What makes the anonymous donation even more striking, they said, is its focus on faculty development, rather than brick-and-mortar edifices.
"Giving is often motivated by a desire to continue one's legacy in the form of your name on a building," said Myra McGovern, director of public information for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). "So for someone to contribute this much without seeking that recognition, it is pretty remarkable. And, for it to be toward human development, it recognizes boarding school teachers go beyond the call of duty 24/7."
The gift will endow four distinguished professorships, six teaching chairs, and three instructors, which will pay the salaries of current faculty. It also will establish a fund for professional staff development. Previously, the largest single-donor gift to the Exeter, N.H., boarding school was $15 million, which has been received on several occasions, according to Jim Theisen, the school's director of alumni affairs and development.
Founded in 1871, the prestigious academy attracts students from across the globe, with a total student body of 1,000. Of those, 135 are from New Hampshire. About 80 percent are boarding students, with a ratio of five students to every one teacher.
"There are two elements that make Exeter what it is," said Theisen. "It's great teachers and great kids. The connection our students form with adults provides a solid foundation, emotionally and intellectually, for life."
In a statement, the donor said, "Exeter was truly the standout experience of my education career, and my teachers made it so . . . and, by making this gift in perpetuity I want to ensure that Exeter students of the future will always have such leaders and mentors to guide and influence them."
Just how big a gift is it?
The most the University of New Hampshire ever has received as a faculty endowment is $10 million, said Young P. Dawkins III, university foundation president. The nearly 1,700-pupil public Exeter High School has an 2005 operating budget of $16 million, according to an administration official.
As one of the oldest and largest US boarding schools, Phillips Exeter Academy is a fund-raising juggernaut. According to Boarding School Review, a company that assesses private schools, Phillips Exeter ranked first in endowment with $639 million in the kitty prior to this $25 million commitment.
